Lost in Forever Land
by Rinaline
Summary: A young Night Elf, curious and confined within the tiny village of Duskenvale, enters into a war-torn world that she had only heard about in stories from her aunt and uncle. Now, after meeting and aiding a wounded Troll during a Horde invasion in Ashenvale, she embarks on a journey in order to seek out her true self as well as discover what it means to be members of different sides
1. Prologue: Crossing Boundaries

My aunt is always telling me that I'm a nomad of the mind. She says I'm easily distracted and never pay attention when I really should. When I walk with uncle to the garden every morning he often tries to educate me on the "voices of the forest". Now I listen. I really do. I can easily tell you that each and every tree has a different personality and each and every leaf a whisper of its own. I can tell you that the fairies only come out to play on cool evenings when a tune is being hummed, or that a Felroot is deadlier to eat than a Pricklepine, despite their deceiving names. Uncle tells me these kinds of things offhandedly, not expecting me to remember. But I do remember. I remember everything. At times it may not seem like I'm paying attention, but, truly, I always am. I just like to think when I'm listening. Thinking helps me sort this from that, old from new, before from after, and a good many other things. I guess that's why aunt Belif uses such a way to describe my process of thought. I don't look like I'm listening, but, nevertheless, I'm walking one thousand miles in my head just to lay down all the footprints. She calls me a nomad. And me? Well, I generally just call that ADD.

Aunt Belif also tells me I'm a lot like mama. Now I don't remember much about mama, but I do know she was a hero for our people. You can't get far around the village without hearing someone mention her name, even if it's just a remnant of a fleeting topic. She was an amazing huntress, one of the very best. Even the great king himself knows of the prowess she had once possessed. Well, I can't say that for sure, but rumors do spread quite quickly in this tiny town. My dad, on the other hand, is an absolute mystery. Nobody knows who he was or where he went. Sometimes I catch uncle muttering about whether or not the "damn fool" is going to come and pick up his poor child. It's a little demeaning on his part, and also on mine since I'm his flesh and blood. However, I'm nearly certain my father was a good man. After all, he fell in love with my wonderful mother, didn't he?

Every now and again I find myself sitting out by the stone wall that borders the dirt path leading out of the entrance to DuskenVale, my home, our village. Like I said, it's small, but the life within it greatly makes up for its size. The people here are gentlefolk. They're also creative, witty, and downright comical when you figure out what sets their steam blowing. The old man that tends to the flowers, for example, entertained me for a full hour and a half once by cursing and throwing dirt wads at me when I replaced his carefully picked Cosmos with drooping Bumblesprouts. I think he hates me now. Every time I see him his thick, gray eyebrows droop down low over his thin, crinkled eyes. That old man's got a killer glare. I don't usually bug people, though. In fact, I'm known as the "little blossom" around here. More often than not, people smile when they see me, and that makes me feel pretty good about myself. I'm liked because I'm likable…or is it because I'm my mother's daughter? Does it even matter why or who or how? Lately, I've been thinking a lot more than usual. I've been thinking about becoming a real life nomad.

Wouldn't it be great to leave here and travel? Wouldn't it be wonderful to see the world? Maybe I could even make a name for myself, like mama did. I could be a warrior. No, a huntress like her! Or maybe even a rogue. I've never been stealthy enough for that, though. Still, if I were out there, learning about more things, better things, I'd… Well, I'd make an adventure for myself. I'd make traveling buddies and form a group and conquer new worlds and I'd find my dad and people would call me-

"There you are, Hum! It's well past dinner time you know."

Well speak of the devil… I glanced down from where I crouched upon a low branch in one of the purple-leafed trees that bordered the fence by the entrance gate. Aunt Belif was giving me quite the nasty look. One of her pale, slender brows was arched questioningly while the other pinched down a bit, giving her that familiar, irritated look I have come to depict her by. Her hands were on her hips. Ah, I knew that posture all too well. I'm about to get an earful. Making an attempt at dodging the inevitable, I gave her a sweet smile.

"I'm aware aunt Belif. I was just about to be on my way back."

Hands tightened on hips and a head of snowy white hair lifted up higher in disdain.

"On your merry way, I'm sure. You look ready to eat a stag, poor girl." The sarcasm dripped from her lips like venom.

However, I merely pouted in response. Her glare hardened. We entered into a sort of half-hearted staring contest that only lasted until aunt Belif became fed up with my lack of a proper response. She's never really been a patient person. That's one big difference between her and my mother. Mama was praised highly for her endless patience.

"Hummingmoon Dawnweaver, I am _this _close to-" I growled at the use of my full name and made a face at the pinched fingers my aunt was holding up.

"Alright already, I get it. Food. Eat. Sustenance."

The elder elf shook her head in exasperation but didn't hesitate to lift a hand to help me down. Her fingers rose to rest upon my shoulder as we began our trek back to the cottage. A somewhat curious look was thrown my way several times before aunt Belif mustered up the pride to actually ask me a question.

"Just what are you doing up there every day in that tree? It can't be too exciting to act as a bird."

I huffed and crossed my arms.

"I'm not acting as a bird! I'm just…well, I'm looking I guess."

Incredulity overtook curiosity.

"Whatever for?"

I tilted my head to regard her, wondering. I can't possibly be the only one who's searched for something greater, something beyond this tiny village that's hidden from the rest of the world. It's way too cramped here. It's too gloomy. It's too suffocating. It's too familiar. I want to experience, to learn, and to discover. I want to see things that I've only heard about in the stories that are told by the occasional traveling merchant. Even if I didn't exactly follow in mama's footsteps, I'd at least like to step outside of the boundary that I've been enclosed in my whole life.

"Everything that's not here."

"DuskenVale is a wonderful place, Hum. You're lucky to be-"

"Yeah, I know. I'm lucky to be living here…but that's not what I meant."

"Don't interrupt, it's rude," aunt Belif paused for a few beats before passing a quick tongue over her lips and continuing, "What did you mean then?"

"I _meant _that I want to travel from here, to see the rest of the world."

The elder elf stopped in her tracks and whirled me around by the shoulder so that we were face-to-face. I blinked owlishly as dim, golden eyes bore into mine solemnly.

"Hummingmoon, I wish for you not to think that way. The world outside of here is dangerous. It's filled with beasts and people that are far stronger, far more cynical that either you or I. Do you understand?"

"But-"

"No 'but's!"

I jerked away from her grasp angrily and stormed back towards the cottage, forcing her to trail behind me uncertainly. Who is she to keep me here? Who is she to deny me my freedom? All she ever says is 'it's too dangerous' and 'life's not fair', but, really, I'm the one who should be making these decisions on my own. I slammed open the front door of the cottage so heavily that my uncle started violently from where he had been napping in his rocker on the far side of the kitchen. His eyes swiveled to ogle in my direction as I stuck my tongue out at him and stomped my way up the stairs. Partially, it's his fault too, I suppose. Upon entering my clustered room, I dropped face-first onto my bed, rejoicing in a small sort of relief that arose from the soothing feel of silken sheets against my skin. If only I could fall asleep and enter into a 'good' dream. You know, the ones where you wish you would never wake up from? I love those kinds of dreams.

"Do I even want to know what that dramatic entrance was all about?" I could hear uncle's muffled voice from the kitchen below.

"You know how children her age are. She's just being rebellious," aunt Belief responded, her voice a little softer than uncle's.

"That's the most rebellion I've ever seen exist in one being then. She could probably lead an army with those weird fits she has."

"There not fits," I grumbled to myself absentmindedly.

"Don't even joke about that, Wyrvik. Just earlier she was talking as if that's exactly what she wanted to do," aunt continued.

"Oh, how so?"

I crawled forward across the bedspread and grabbed my pillow so that I could wrap it around either side of my head. I don't need to hear this again. Uncle agrees with aunt Belif, so there's no reason why I should try to explain to either of them. My yearning to change my lifestyle, to change myself, is so strong that I would do anything to follow through with it. Even if that meant lying or stealing or cheating or…escaping. I caught my breath at the same time my heart skipped a beat. Escape? Could I do that? Should I do that? Slowly, I removed the pillow from my ears and rolled over onto my left side to look out the pane-less window to my right. It's so simple. How could I not have thought of it before? All I need to do is climb out and head through the village purposefully. No one would question me. Then I could climb my tree and hop over the fence…

"Humming? Are you in there?" I jumped at the proximity of uncle's voice and sat up to glare at the door to my room accusingly.

I considered not answering for a moment but then thought better of it.

"Yeah."

The door opened softly and my uncle peeked in.

"Can I come in?"

A sigh escaped me.

"Might as well since your heads already in."

He smirked and opened the door the rest of the way before glancing back and closing it behind him. The bottoms of his doe skin boots thumped gently against the wooden floor as he made his way to my bed. He didn't hesitate to sit down beside me. I swallowed. He gave me a look, one that we both understood, and I chewed at my bottom lip tentatively. Instead of chastising me on my silence like aunt Belif did, however, he carefully reached over and brushed calloused, purple fingers through my moonlit hair. He caught my eye, which was just as silver as his, and curved one side of his mouth up humorously. I translated the unspoken question, '_may I?', _and gave a quick nod of permission and turned so that he had full access to my waist-length locks. He ran his fingers through it repeatedly, combing it out, and then slowly but surely began braiding it. A long exhale of breath escaped his nose as he worked.

"So, you want to be an adventurer do you?"

I tensed beneath his touch. His ever careful eyes didn't miss the movement.

"Well, there's nothing really odd about that, I suppose. After all, your mother was exactly the same way and, believe it or not, so was Belif." His voice was thickly laced with a sort of distant amusement, as if he were caught up in an old memory.

Curious, I turned my head, only to have it be pushed back into place.

"You're not allowed to move until I'm finished." It wasn't a question

Sticking out my lower lip in self-pity, I ruefully complied. Uncle Wyrvik chuckled, his hands weaving gracefully behind me.

"I'm about to tell you something that your dear aunt would probably have my head for," he jerked a little on a strand of my hair, "you'll keep it a secret, won't you?"

I scoffed and lifted a hand to trace an 'X' over my chest.

"Cross my heart and hope to die."

He jerked harder, eliciting a yelp from me.

"Alright already, I get it. I swear I won't breathe a word, uncle." I was honest too.

He seemed to contemplate my answer for a moment before diligently pressing on with his task.

"Good girl," I could hear the smile in his voice, "Elune behold, you remind me so much of Felrynn, Hum."

My brow furrowed.

"Felrynn?"

His hands paused for a second.

"Your mother."

I made a small 'O' shape with my mouth and then fell silent. Uncle's tugging and pulling became very gentle after that.

"I doubt Belif has told you anything. She's so bent on keeping you in her little bubble of protection that she doesn't even notice your desire to be your own sort of person. Good thing you've got me to talk to though, hm? Otherwise you probably would've gone mad by now." He chuckled again.

I grunted in agreement. Well, at least he's aware. Though, I felt myself stiffen again when uncle's laughter trailed off into a weary sigh.

"So, I'm sure this is the first time you've heard…but, well, I should probably admit that I loved your mother, Hum."

I nearly tore myself away from him in order to turn around and stare at him in astonishment. He merely held on to the end of my hair loosely and responded to my look with a guilty smile.

"You…my mother…you both loved-"

"She never loved me back, of course," uncle quickly supplied, "She had already fallen for your father by the time I revealed my feelings."

I blinked once. Then twice. Then I leaned forward, excitedly.

"My father?! You knew him?"

Uncle lifted a hand to cover my mouth and threw a fleeting glance at the closed door. Realizing my mistake, I ducked my head apologetically and repositioned myself so that he could continue with my braid.

"I knew _of _him," his voice was nearly a whisper, "I'll admit he was a charming fellow, an experienced druid that went by the name of Ceradus."

"Ceradus." I rolled the name off of my tongue experimentally and felt a smile creep its way across my face.

Uncle caught my expression and snorted.

"Though you have your mother's dashing hair and grace, I can clearly see your father in that wild grin of yours."

My lips only stretched further at that. My inquisitiveness at its peak, I questioned him further.

"What was he like?"

"Well, I only met him a few times, and they were short-lived at that, but he was what one would call a 'dare-devil'. He wasn't afraid to take a risk and always laughed in the face of danger. He was a hero, no doubt about it, but he was also very much infatuated with Felrynn as well. Being the handsome, strong elf that he was, though, he had no trouble winning over her heart." Uncle frowned a bit at that last part but perked up when he saw me searching his face worriedly.

"Worry you not, Hum, I'm very much taken by Belif. I'll probably never completely lose the feelings that I had for your mother, but I certainly found new love with your delightful aunt. Felrynn and Ceradus made quite the pair. They were an unstoppable duo with matching hearts of courage and a strong desire for adventure," he quirked a grin at me, "much like someone else I know."

I laughed and stood up as uncle finished tying off the end of my braid. He made a small motion for me to twirl, and I did so. His expression became one of satisfaction as he rose from the bed and placed a hand on my head. I looked up at him. He looked down at me. Then he said something, a single word that completely flipped my world upside-down.

"Go."

My brow furrowed. He couldn't possibly mean… The large hand fell to my shoulder and tightened considerably.

"Hummingmoon Dawnweaver," I grew serious at the full use of my name, "I'm giving you my consent. Go and do what you want to do. Be what you want to be. Elune, Belif will probably slaughter me for sending you off, but if I don't, then you will never get to leave."

I searched his face, trying to depict some sort of hint that he was messing with me. However, his eyes shone with the utmost sincerity. So, it was only natural that I stumbled upon my disbelief.

"Go? I can go? You mean like…leave DuskenVale?" It was still so impossibly hard to believe.

Amusement tugged at his lips.

"And travel to where ever you desire to go. I want you to be happy, Hum, so I won't hold you back from experiencing what it means to live."

That was it. He said it all, everything I ever dreamed about hearing. So much for plans of escaping. So much for feeling guilty when I began to prepare my methods of sneaking out. I just couldn't contain my overflowing gratitude at this point. I threw my arms around uncle's waist and buried my head in his chest to hide the vulnerable amazement that had begun to leak from the corners of my eyes. His strong arms wrapped around me in response, vaguely reminding me that uncle, too, had experienced his good share of battles and struggles outside of this little village we called 'home'. He knew what I was going to face, yet he was releasing me into the very world that had fought against him. And it was all because I _wanted _to go.


	2. First Encounter

Even now, I'm astonished at how simple it was. That very day uncle had spoken to aunt Belif and, with some difficulty, gained her permission as well. After that, I had said my goodbyes to the village, gathered what meager supplies I had, and started on my way down the unfamiliar forest path outside of beautiful, tiny DuskenVale. So, that leads me to where I am now: two days later and completely lost. I was currently facing a fork in the road that I'm absolutely _sure _I had already seen at least three times before. A post, pointing right and left, towered above me mockingly. The one on the right clearly read 'Ashenvale' while the one on the left, a little less clearly, read 'Darkshore'. I glared at the teasing wood and retrieved my map for the umpteenth time from its place from one of the holsters in my leather belt, which was a generous gift from the angry, old gardener that I used to mess with. Bless the poor soul. Also sheathed within the belt were two finely crafted daggers that uncle had presented me with, claiming that his days as a rogue had ended long ago. I had accepted them with more glee than that of a young night elf being blessed by the first light of Elune.

"I've decided that you shall be my first enemy out here in this cold, unforgiving world," I addressed the sign coolly, "Since you can't seem to point me in the correct direction."

The sign merely stood there, incapable of offering a reply. I took its silence as a means of submission, and I claimed my first victory in the outside world with pride. In short, I spit on the enemy.

"Not so tough now, are you? Thought you could fool me, but I figured out your silly game."

I leaned forward, attempting to intensify my glare to the point that the post would quake in place with terror. Of course, that never happened. Irritated with its lack of response, I shoved the map back in place in my belt and pointed at the road trailing off to the right.

"So, since you're having a fine time leading me on in the wrong direction, I'm going to assume that Darkshore is actually this way, seeing as I've been going the _right _way the whole time."

The sign remained silent. Guilty as charged. I clicked my tongue in disapproval and began walking along the road labeled 'Ashenvale'. I called back to the post over my shoulder.

"Don't think I won't come back and find you one day! I'll end your miserable existence once I get a little stronger, you got that?"

With that, I marched on in silence, head held high. It didn't take long, however, for me to figure out that I had probably chosen to take the wrong path. With each step my surroundings grew darker. The trees glowed an iridescent purple and overhung the path ahead in such a way that it reminded me of clawed hands reaching down to snatch something. My spine tingled in discomfort, so I pushed the thought out of my mind. Every now and then the occasional grunt of some unknown creature could be heard from the thick undergrowth, making me jump and causing my eyes to dart around in a frenzied paranoia. Soon enough I found myself fingering the handles of my daggers. Never before had I used a weapon. Sure, uncle instructed me a bit before I took off, but it wasn't near enough to comfort me at the moment. If a beast were to attack me now I probably wouldn't fair to well. Swallowing nervously, I reached into the satchel that hung from my shoulder and pulled out an old, slightly frayed book. Nervously, my eyes flickered about my surroundings once more before I sat myself down on a nearby tree stump and flipped through the musty pages. Lucky for me, this particular bestiary was categorized in alphabetical order, so I didn't have to search too hard for the 'A' that led to 'Ashenvale'.

"Let's see," I muttered quietly to myself as I skimmed the yellowed page, "Ashenvale is a forest under Alliance protection that consists of the following common beasts: bears, crabs, hydras, sharks, spiders, stags, and…wolves."

Something rustled loudly in the foliage several meters to my right. Swiftly, I drew one of my daggers with my right hand and used the left to clutch the book tightly to my chest. I waited, subconsciously holding my breath. However, nothing made itself known. Just to be on the safe side, though, I slipped my book back into my satchel and unsheathed my other dagger. After a few more moments of studying the still bushes, I cautiously made my way back to the path. Making an enemy of a sign is one thing, but to make an enemy of a ravaging beast…well, that wouldn't be the wisest decision. My pace became quicker as I headed farther down the road. Soon enough, I came face to face with yet another fork in the path, yet, this time, there was no sign to uphold my entertainment. Hesitantly, I retrieved my map again. I ran my finger along the route I had just taken and came to a stop where I estimated I now stood. If I was reading it correctly then that would mean that the left path would lead me to 'Hellscream's Watch' while the one on the ride trailed off to a place called 'Astranaar'. Now, I may be a bit naïve when it comes to what's going in the world right now, but I most certainly wasn't born yesterday. Hellscream is the surname of the Horde's warchief. In other words, I'd more than likely be run through and displayed on a sharpened stake if I took the left path. Not finding that option very appealing, I was quick to veer right.

Astranaar looked exactly as it did on the map…which wasn't really saying much. It was tiny, about half the size of DuskenVale. Then again, Astranaar was labeled as an outpost. I pondered on the matter as I approached the front gate, only to stumble back in alarm at what I saw. The settlement was crawling with Horde members. My eyes danced back and forth, trying to take in the whole scene. In one area a tremendous bull-like creature, that I could only assume was a Tauren, was locked in a fierce battle between two Night Elf sentinels. In another, a couple of Blood Elves and this massive beast of an Orc were smashing down one of the few forts on the small island base. Confused, terrified, and absolutely intimidated, I whirled around and made to run, when, suddenly, I bumped into something else. A loud _'Oof' _sounded, declaring that in fact it was a some_one _rather than a some_thing. _My head snapped up and my hands flew to my belt as I rose from where I had fallen to the ground. However, I relaxed a little when I caught sight of the disgruntled sentinel clambering to her feet. She shook her head and threw me a glare, seeming ready to throw a prepared string of insults, but stopped herself once she got a good look at me. Then her eyes were blazing like molten fire. I took a step back, abruptly wondering if maybe the Horde intruders would spare me an easier fate than whatever this woman was about to do to me.

"A commoner," she snarled in thick Darnassian, "what do you think you're doing here? This is the battlefield!"

I took another small step back, but then froze when I saw her eyeing the hands that I had unconsciously used to grip at the hilts of my daggers. She paused as well, and then returned her gaze to my face, this time uncertain.

"A rogue?"

Seeing this brief moment of confusion as an opportunity to escape some sort of unspeakable punishment, I gave the sentinel a swift nod. To my immense relief, the woman took my confirmation rather well. Her shoulders relaxed and she lowered the huge blade that, for some odd reason, I hadn't even realized that she had lifted. Then she opened the satchel that rested on her hip and pulled out a small piece of paper, surprising me as it was thrust urgently in my direction. I lifted a hesitant hand and took the worn parchment, my eyes quickly skimming over its contents. My brow gradually furrowed. It was a list of herbs, all of which I had learned from my uncle.

"Do you recognize these?"

I nodded.

"Find them. Our troops are in dire need of treatment and we're low on healers." It was an order. I was her subordinate.

Biting my lip, I tried not to contemplate on the matter and, instead, met her glare squarely and gave one, last affirmative nod. She saluted me hastily before brushing past my shoulder and dashing for the gate. That's when realization hit me. This was a mission! My first mission! Then realization hit me again. Oh, Elune, I'm holding the lives of people in my hands! With that thought in mind, I made a mad scramble for the forest before me, not bothering to note that there were beasts still scavenging about.

I glanced over my list for the twelfth time, making certain that I actually recognized all of the herbs, which, thankfully, I did. It only took a minute or two to pass before my eyes lowered to the list again: Adder's Tongue, Blindweed, Bruiseweed, Doomweed, Dreamfoil, and Liferoot. I frowned at the first one. It was going to be hard to find such a plant in a forest like this. I had only seen pictures of Adder's Tongue in books, and no where did the information given state that the herb could be found in the shaded region of Ashenvale. Still, if a sentinel gave me this list…well, I guess I can't really argue. A scowl fixed itself firmly on my face as I turned to access my satchel. This was all too familiar. I was so used to tending to aunt Belif's garden that this whole 'plant harvesting' mission seemed more like a chore. Sighing, I pulled out a pair of gloves and fastened them around my hands, for some of the herbs were too dangerous to touch with one's bare skin. When I spotted my first Bruiseweed, though, I started to get into it. From then on it was pretty easy. My eyes were so used to depicting this leaf from that and that frond from this one that I had no trouble in my search.

Soon enough, my satchel was full and my list nearly completed. I retrieved the slip of paper and narrowed my eyes. Adder's Tongue, huh? As I thought, this plant can't possibly exist in dark environments. It needs lots of sunlight. Maybe the sentinel had gotten it mixed up with another plant. As I walked I racked my brain for any known herb that could possibly be related to the spiky plant in some way. Lost in thought, I didn't notice an uplifted tree root in my path and promptly tripped, landing flat on my face.

"Ow," I groaned.

In order to suffer through my silent humiliation, I stayed put for a while. Then I told myself it was on purpose. Of course, I mean, what idiot would trip on a tree root? I am a _Night Elf_! For Elune's sake, why was I so clumsy?! That's when a low moan met my ears. The sound was far too deep to be my own voice, so logically I used my hands to push the upper half of my body up and looked around fearfully. A very out-of-place green caught my eye, and I turned my head to stare at what looked like a spikey cluster of emerald fronds. Strange noise forgotten, I practically let out a cry of victory as I crawled over to the plant and grabbed a fistful of it before jerking up roughly. What happened next will certainly have scarred me for life. A pain-filled yowl cut through the air, sending a jolt of terror down my spine as I shot backwards up against the rough bark of a nearby tree. My breath came out in quick bursts as I drew one of my daggers and pointed it at the Adder's Tongue…which didn't really look so much like an herb any more. For, in its place was the head of an odd creature, and what I had mistaken for leaves, was actually hair. My hands began to shake as the strange being rolled over from where it lay and stared up at me incredulously. I stared right back; Elune be cursed if I was to look away at this point. As if its hair wasn't weird enough, the creature had pale, blue skin and sharply curved tusks that protruded from either side of its mouth. Yet, its ears were pointed and long like mine. That fact alone was enough to make me calm down a little. Maybe this was just some sort of weird, genetically altered type of Elf. The abnormal Elf continued to stare, but, within the span of a few seconds, recognition flitted across its face. Then it spoke.

"Ogg…gesh'zugas ag?"

I blinked owlishly. I may not be an expert in the language department, but the creature had definitely just spoken in Orcish, which I know absolutely none of. Feeling a little intimidated by the language barrier and by the fact that it was clearly a member of the Horde faction, I shook my head and tilted my eyebrows inward to show that I was confused. All this time, my dagger remained pointing at the weird face. The creature moved his jaw in an uncomfortable manner, making its tusks shift a bit. It spoke again.

"Now ya be understandin' me, mon?" The question was spoken in clear, but not exactly fluent, Common.

If my eyes could open any wider then I'm sure they did just then. This was the first time I had spoken to a member of the Horde. It was also the first time I had ever heard of a Horde member being able to speak an Alliance language. Wary of the creature's intents, I took a hesitant step forward and peered closer, giving a slight nod as I did so. Sharp, orange eyes regarded the tip of my blade apprehensively.

"Dat be quite a knife ya got dere, mon… Ya gonna finish me off now?"

I snorted without really meaning to. Seriously? Like I could end a life so easily. That is, unless the thing decided to attack me. For some reason, the Horde creature found my snort to be humorous. A wide grin crossed its face, and it tilted its head to one side.

"Ya find my ramblin's to be funny, yeah? Dat I undastond, mon. Ya Elfies be quite da cold ones."

I faltered at that. Cold? In what way was I being cold. Irritated with his false assumptions, I slammed my dagger into the soft earth beneath me, embedding it to its hilt in dirt. The creature just glanced between me and my weapon in surprise. Now, it was my turn to speak.

"I am not a cold-blooded killer like you Horde soldiers claim our kind to be. In fact, Night Elves are a peaceful people. We try to preserve life in the best ways we can without means of bloodshed, which, to my understanding, is something you wouldn't know anything about." I tried to portray the agitation that I felt through my voice as best as I could.

It must have come across. The creature, which I had begun to match with the description of a Troll, gawked up at me in something akin to wonder. Then he burst out in boisterous laughter. I jerked my head back in surprise as the sudden outburst, unsure of what to make of it.

"Ya-ya be a wise talka, Elfie! Ya make a good point do'. Who am I to question a Night Elf on 'er own land?"

I gave him a perplexed look, wondering whether or not I should reply. Once his laughing fit subsided, we fell into an uncomfortable silence. Well, uncomfortable for me anyway. He looked like he was enjoying every second of it. Scowling, I transfixed him with a stern glare.

"And why _are _you on Alliance territory?"

He frowned at that and lifted a large, three-fingered hand to prop his chin up.

"I wouldn't know da ans'a to dat, mon. Garrosh just sends 'is fightas to do 'is biddin'. He doesn't say why. I be guessin' dat-" The Troll broke off with a wince of pain.

Startled, I leant forward and raised my hands instinctively, as if to aid him. Realizing what I was doing, however, I just as quickly lowered them. The worry didn't waver.

"What's wrong?"

The Troll threw me an agonizing look and then rolled over onto his back. His strange actions caused me to panic as no response came. Tossing aside the fact that we were members of opposite sides, I crawled forward and surveyed him urgently. At first, nothing struck me as being wrong.

"I be missin' my arm, mon," he hissed painfully.

_That's _when I noticed the blood. It was so widely spread beneath the Troll that I nearly slapped myself in the face for missing it. Well, that _and_ his left arm was missing. Horrified and completely lost, I stuttered incoherently whilst ogling at the massive injury. Never before had I been faced with such a dilemma. The Troll grunted to himself in some unfamiliar language and then inclined his head in my direction.

"Ya seem ta be shakin', mon. Ya alright?" A smirk eased the contorted features of his face, but only until another wave of pain gripped him.

His half-hearted jibe didn't manage to cut through my shocked haze. A hard chunk of ice formed in my stomach, and I tugged at my hair harshly in order to bring myself back to reality. I considered the Troll, the position he was in, and the position I was in. Then my head wrapped around the plants. The plants! With new found vigor I flipped open my satchel and grabbed a handful of herbs, not caring which was which. Orange eyes widened a sliver. He opened his mouth to say something; however, I cut him off.

"These herbs are supposed to be used to aid the injured sentinels back at Astranaar," I gave him a pointed look, "but I suppose it wouldn't make too much of a difference if I used some myself."

Ignoring the odd look he was giving me, I got to work, shredding, chewing, and mashing the various kinds of weeds into a pulp. Before long, I had a reasonable sized leaf-full of sticky ooze. I held it up to my nose briefly, making sure that I hadn't picked anything poisonous, and then scooped up a small helping with two fingers. I leaned forward.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, mon! What ya be puttin' on me?"

I sighed in exasperation.

"Blindweed, Bruiseweed, and Doomweed, which, I solemnly swear by the name of Elune, that are _healing _herbs. They aren't poisonous, I promise."

He gave me a skeptical look before lying back down.

"Mm…well, As long as ya be usin' da name of ya moon Goddess, den I guess it be okay."

I lifted a brow but didn't push the matter as I gingerly began to smooth the medicine over his wound. He grunted at the contact but didn't pull away this time. People of the Horde sure were strange. Or maybe it's just because he's a Troll. I took his state of vulnerability as a chance to study him. He certainly was different. Sure, he had long, pointy ears and blue skin, but he was much too lanky to be a Night Elf. He was well-muscled, not bulky but lean, and had intriguing decorations that riddled his hair, tusks, and attire. The one that captivated me the most was the large animal tooth that hung around his neck by means of dark, braided thread. Curious, I reached for it with my non-occupied hand and lifted it up to examine it closer. The Troll regarded me carefully.

"Dat be da fang 'o da Croc dat killed my broda," he offered a lopsided grin, "Da Croc be dead now, do'. It is all dat's left 'o 'im."

With a small yelp I released the tooth and quietly went back to nursing the injury. At this point the skin had already begun to knit itself back together. Unfortunately, though, no magic could bring back his arm. I frowned at that. I wonder what it's like to only have one arm. I guess he's probably wondering that same thing. My eyes flickered up to his face. He had his eyes closed. From a Night Elf's point of view he would generally be viewed as a repulsive being. Technically, I should find his presence to revolting to withstand. Yet, for some reason, I was drawn to him. He was new, a breath of fresh air-no, more like, being submerged in icy water after basking out in the sun for hours. Stumbling across him was quite a shock, a rare, once in a lifetime encounter. My life was most definitely being placed on the line by helping him. Still, if being a Night Elf had taught me anything, it was that all life is cherished. From the start, there was no way that I could have left him to die.

"Dat's some crazy stuff ya got dere, mon. Ya fixed it right up, yeah?"

Coming out of my reverie, I looked down to see a completely healed stump of an arm. Excitement overtook me. I did it! That was the first time I had ever used herbs and I did it! He's healed! I stared at him in awe, as if he had just died and come back to life right there in front of me.

"It's healed." I was nearly breathless with disbelief.

The Troll took in my expression and chuckled deeply, a welcoming sound.

"Yeah, mon."

"I did it."

"Ya did."

"I fixed it with plants."

"It would seem ta be dat way."

"You're alive."

"Fortunately."

"This is the first time I've ever done something like that…"

"Dats not very comfortin'."

"Can I do it again?"

"Hell no."

Taken-aback, I looked him over, searching for more injuries despite his rejection. There was a large cut stretching from the top of his right shoulder all the way down to his elbow. Ecstatic, I leant over him and lifted my hand to spread the salve, however, a much larger hand imprisoned my wrist in a vice-like grip.

"I said 'no', mon. It'll heal on its own."

"But I-"

"Trolls heal fasta' dan most oda races."

I huffed in frustration but complied, slipping my hand from his large fingers as I sat back down by his side. Again, his orange eyes glinted oddly as he observed me.

"Ya do realize I be healed now, yeah?"

Bewildered by the question and its obvious answer, I nodded.

"Den ya also realize dat I can fend fo' myself?"

It took me a few seconds to grasp the meaning behind his words. When I did, though, I didn't feel as threatened as I probably should have. For the umpteenth time today I nodded. He snorted at the calm exposition I presented him with and slowly sat up. It was surely different seeing a one-armed creature, be it man, Elf, Orc, or Troll. He just looked extremely off-balance, and I had half a mind to steady him as he struggled to his feet; the more intelligent side of my brain held my arms at bay when I saw just how tall the Troll really was. To be precise, my head was just barely shorter than his shoulder; that's saying something too, since Night Elves are well-known for their nature-enhanced height. I tilted my head back to look at him. He lowered his chin to meet my eyes. Mischief swam in those bright, auburn orbs of his.

"Still not gonna kill 'ol Rha'zin?"

I perked up a bit.

"Rha'zin," it was difficult to pronounce in Common, "Is that your name?"

The Troll ran a large hand through his wild, green mane and averted his gaze.

"Could be."

An uncontrollable grin crossed my face as I walked over to where my dagger still lay imbedded in the earth. I removed it. Rha'zin stiffened. I sheathed it. He relaxed.

"My name's Hummingmoon. It's not exactly a pleasure to meet you…but it sure is something."

The large Troll gave me a sly smile of his own and bowed, sweeping his one arm low in exaggeration.

"It be an honor, Elfie."

I opened my mouth to say something else when, suddenly, I was cut off by the sound of a war horn being blown somewhere in the distance. Rha'zin made a guttural sound in the back of his throat, somewhat akin to a growl, and then sharply jerked his head to glare at me.

"Best be on ya way now. Da Horde be comin'."

I blanched momentarily at the horrifying prospect of being captured by the Horde. If they got a hold of me…Who knows what they'd do. I've only heard scary stories from uncle, but if what he told me was true then I'd most definitely be heading for a world of pain. The sound of rustling leaves snapped me back to the present, and I glanced up just in time to see Rha'zin pushing his way through the undergrowth. I reached out a hand subconsciously.

"Wait!"

He stopped but didn't turn around. Flustered by my actions, I stumbled over my tongue.

"I-uh-no, I meant, where…What are you going to do?" I don't know why I was so desperate to continue talking to him, but I felt that if he walked away now then I'd never get to see him again.

The large Troll merely shook his head.

"I be tankin' ya for da help, Elfie, and I be helpin' in return by not given' ya away to 'ol Garrosh," he turned to give me one last solemn look, "Let dat be all dere is. We neva' met, yeah?"

With that, he was gone, and I was left standing alone in the middle of the Ashenvale forest, confused and just a little bit regretful.


	3. Good Luck

**Sorry it's so short...I wanted to post more, but with the turn of events I figured this would be better :3 Look forward to more next chap, yeah? **

* * *

Four months and three days after my first encounter with a Horde member I found myself positioned behind two Night Elf Druids and a Human Paladin. We were standing on the white beach of Darkshore, tensed and alert for any signs of movement. Slowly, ever so slowly, I slid my daggers from their sheaths and held them close to my body in a defensive position. The Paladin, Geoff, glanced back at me from the corner of his eye and gave a swift nod. That was the signal. Quick as a flash, I whirled around and raised my blades, just barely in time to catch the sword of an astonished sentinel. I smirked at her expression, and, after a moment's worth of contemplating, she sneered right back.

"I'll admit you've advanced at quite an admirable speed, young elf. However," I lifted a brow at her pause, "you still have much to learn."

Suddenly, something struck me from behind, and I stumbled into the mail chest plate of the woman before me. She didn't hesitate to twist me around and bring the edge of her blade to my throat. Startled, I glared up to see a grinning Night Elf Hunter and a just as giddy white tiger crouching in the sand. The Hunter laughed as I narrowed my eyes and offered me a hand as the sentinel released me. Still miffed by my loss, I ignored the expectant appendage in favor of searching the training ground for my comrades. Dismay washed over me as I caught sight of them several yards away, bound to a large rock with thick ropes. Geoff tossed me an apologetic grin while the two Druids bowed their heads in frustration. For real? We went through all of that planning and preparation just to end up like this?

"Hey now, don't get all down just because you lost this once. Besides, you're pretty strong for a girl, you know."

That did it. I swiveled around on my heel to come face-to-face with the Hunter. He took a surprised step back as I pointed a finger at his chest. Sure, the guy was good-looking, and sure, he was a good foot and a half taller than me…That didn't stop me from being mad at him.

"For a _girl_? And tell me, what exactly do you know about the strength of a girl?"

The Hunter's silver eyes widened as they flickered between my finger and my face. He spluttered in bewilderment.

"Ah-well, that is-I thought…well, you know…girls are…girls?" His lips twitched awkwardly, as if he were unsure of whether he should smile or frown.

Dissatisfied with his blatant answer, I clicked my tongue in disapproval and stomped over to where my comrades were still tied up. They looked up at me as I approached. Geoff, on the other hand, glanced behind me. An amused smile crossed his face.

"It seems you have a stalker, Hum."

Yeah, I've given him permission to call me that. Geoff is one of the few people that I actually trust out here in the real world. He's been by my side since the day I scurried back into Astranaar after my run-in with Rha'zin. Elune behold, I got more than an earful from the sentinel that had sent me off to find those herbs. Who knows what she would have done to me if Geoff hadn't intervened. Now, it's not like he's almighty or anything. He's only a Human Paladin still struggling through the beginnings of his training, like me. However, at the time, in my eyes, he was a mighty hero clad in war-torn armor. His huge sword had been streaked with blood and glowed with a menacing light that had been reflected in its owner's eyes. It was his very appearance that had shut that sentinel up. It was also his appearance that shut _me _up and allowed him to lead me away, unpunished and unscathed. My gratitude for his aid and support has nearly doubled since that time, for he has kept me constant company ever since.

"Oh, so your name is Hum?"

I scowled and tilted my head back to look up at the Night Elf that was now standing over me. He grinned at my response.

"I'm Unandel, but friends call me Del." Again he flashed that overly cheery beam.

I frowned up at him before decidedly dropping my attention to the ropes that bound Geoff's arms.

"If that's the case then you can call me Hummingmoon…and I'll stick to Unandel."

Geoff chuckled at the crestfallen look on Unandel's face and stretched his arms out once they were freed. Next, I leaned over towards the Druid brothers and undid their binds. The nearest one let out a dramatic sigh of relief the instant he was released.

"Ouch, man, that lady sure knows how to tie a knot."

The other elbowed him in the ribs.

"Don't imply dirty things, Vendal."

Vendal gasped in mock hurt. He placed a hand on his chest as if to grasp at his heart.

"Caldur, you would actually think so lowly of me?"

The purple-haired Druid, Caldur, wiped imaginary tears from his glowing, golden eyes.

"You don't know what it's like having a pervert for a brother."

Vendal ran rough fingers through a mane of lavender, barely a shade lighter than Caldur's own locks.

"I know very well what it's like."

The conversation soon became a playful scuffle between the two. I merely watched with a fond smile tugging at my lips as they laughed and threw lights cuffs at each other's heads. The brothers were also a part of the small group of people that I allowed myself to trust. I hadn't been together with them as long as I had with Geoff, but we had been through enough to be considered friends, if not family. Like me, they had been stuck in one place for all their lives, dumbfounded by the prospect that the world outside their home was so much vaster. So, naturally, I tended to hang around them more during training lessons. Also, their sense of humor and endless joy was highly addicting; it was a massive relief from the talk of war and battle preparations that had been going on for the last couple of months. Geoff stood up abruptly and stretched. I had a feeling Unandel was still hovering in the same spot, so I didn't turn around to look.

"Hey, trainees! You need to head back to Lor'danel!"

Vendal and Caldur paused in their scrapping at the same time that Geoff, myself, and, unfortunately, Unandel turned around to see a sentinel standing a few meters away, hands on her hips and chin held high in an authoritative manner. Once she was sure that she had our attention she cleared her throat.

"Dentaria Silverglade has something to discuss with the five of you."

She had our undivided attention at that. The Priestess of the Moon herself had requested our presence. Shocked and somewhat hesitant, I shared wary looks with my companions before giving the sentinel a small nod. We stood and trailed after her, pondering over our unknown fate.

The Priestess was probably the most beautiful person I had ever seen, be it any race you wish to compare her to. When we approached her I took in her appearance with awe-filled eyes. The Night Elf was wearing a stunning, white dress that hugged her frame appealingly, reaching down to sweep at her delicate ankles. She had bright, blue hair that hung at her shoulders, complimenting her pale, purple skin. Her intelligent, kind eyes swiveled up to regard us as we approached, and she rose gracefully from where she had been crouching over a wounded soldier. My eyes lingered on the injured Night Elf, just long enough to note that he was, in fact, actually still alive, before they preferably returned to gaze at the Priestess. A wistful smile curved at her lips, softening her face further as she came to a stop before us. She was shorter than I had expected, hardly an inch below my own head.

"Ah, so these are the promising, new younglings you spoke of," her voice was musical and light, reminding me of a wind chime, "Thank you, I'll take it from here, Lendra."

The sentinel who had guided us hesitated, but then respectfully saluted Dentaria before jogging back the way we had come. I watched after her retreating figure for a moment, but brought my attention back to the Priestess once she began speaking again.

"Now, I'm aware that none of you have gone on a serious mission yet, correct?" We each nodded at our own pace. "Well, then you should be honored that this shall be your first."

I perked up in excitement. She was sending us on a quest? _This _was what I had been hoping for! This is what I had put all of my training and effort into achieving! I looked over at my comrades to see that they wore similar expressions of glee, especially the Druid brothers. Dentaria held up her hand, and we tensed at the solemnity that shone in her eyes.

"However, I'm going to warn you beforehand. This quest shall not be so simple. For, you are to split up into groups and infiltrate and spy on the enemy's happenings."

I swallowed. She looked each one of us in the eye carefully. I shivered when her gaze held mine.

"Do you understand?"

I nodded. After a minute or so of confirming our comprehension of the seriousness of the task at hand, the Priestess relaxed and smiled once again.

"Very well," she pointed at me suddenly, "You and you shall be one team."

I followed her finger and nearly protested in dismay at the smirking Hunter she had chosen. Lucky for Geoff, he had gotten both Vendal and Caldur. I could already predict how irritating this mission was going to be. Dentaria must have sensed my discomfort, for she turned to me with a knowing look and motioned once again at Unandel.

"He is a fine archer. I'm sure he will be of great aid during your journey."

Unandel turned to look at me with all the pride of a cat that had caught a mouse, and I had to bite the inside of my cheek to keep from asking for a revision of choice on the Priestesses part. After a brief discussion over directions and required intellect on Horde movement, Dentaria waved us off with _unwavering _gratitude. No doubt I will forever hold this grudge against her for pairing me up with the biggest flirt in all of Ashenvale and Darkshore combined. With this in mind, I threw the grinning Hunter a warning glare over my shoulder before picking up my pace to catch up with the other three. Geoff glanced back and smiled as I approached.

"Well, I would wish you luck, but I figure Unandel will need it more."

I scoffed.

"As long as he doesn't mess with me then I won't mess with him."

He chuckled and placed a hand on my shoulder, instantly throwing me four months and five days back to that moment where uncle had sent me off for the first time. I bit the inside of my cheek again, this time to fight back the growing feelings of sorrow and regret.

"Good luck."

"I don't need it."

"You live off of it as carelessly as you do the air."

My fist found his gut, and he doubled-over in mock pain. Vendal and Caldur sauntered over to see what was going on. I looked over Geoff's shoulder at the brothers and opened my arms expectantly. The Druids shared a glance before grinning ear to ear and pushing past a startled Paladin to hoist me up into the air.

"Ah, Hum-drum, we're going to miss you!" Vendal cried theatrically.

Caldur, being the saner one of the two brothers, disentangled me from the other's arms and set me back on the ground, brushing invisible germs off of my light, leather armor in the process. He threw me a mischievous look.

"If you need me to tear out somebody's throat," he glanced over at Unandel suggestively, "just give me a shout, got it?"

Alright, maybe he _wasn't _any saner. Laughing, I patted him on the face, allowed Vendal to give me one, last crushing hug, and then threw another light punch at Geoff's side before heading down the path towards the flight master. Unandel trudged behind me begrudgingly, all previous gusto crushed and scattered in the wind of my comrades' teasing threats. Despite the fact that his personality annoyed me, I wasn't stupid enough to think that I could just brush him off every step of the way. So, to prove that I was mature, as well as show him I wasn't just some non-forgiving, detestable _girl_, I grabbed his hand upon reaching the flight master. He blinked, startled, but didn't pull away. _Of course_ he didn't. Geoff's words were the last, reasonable thought that ran through my head as I released the Hunter's hand and clambered up onto one of the offered Hippogryphs. I gripped the reigns and smiled back at Unandel, surprising him even further as he settled himself into a worn saddle.

"Good luck," I shouted as heavy wings beat twice, successfully lifting us from the ground.

With all that had just occurred, I was feeling pretty good about myself. That is, until realization came crashing down on me and I realized that this was the first time that I had ever flown before, much less sat on a Hippogryph. 'Good luck' indeed.


	4. Rocky Start

**I can't believe I nearly forgot the Disclaimer (which technically covers the past two chaps and all of the ones to come after): All characters (except for Hummingmoon, Geoff, Rha'zin, Unandel, Vendal, Caldur, Belif, Wyrvik, Sheba...and probably many more to come) belong to Blizzard as well as all of the places (except for DuskenVale) that take part of this story. **

**Also, I would like to thank everyone that's read up to this point. It really means a lot to know that people enjoy my writing ^^ **

**Cookie: Thanks very very much for your feedback! I'm glad you enjoy my characters. I put a lot of thought into them :3**

**Lastly, please enjoy this chap. It was sort of rushed because I'm eager to get to the next part, but I made it a little more humorous to break through all of the previous descriptions and introductions. (This chaps actually a little bit shorter than the last one, sorry) T~T **

* * *

Ratchet, like Astranaar, was much smaller than I had previously expected. At this point I was beginning to curse the map for making certain places seem much more extravagant then they really were. Unandel, on the other hand, was brimming with wonder. As we dismounted, which was quite the feat considering my legs were numb from the excess amount of adrenaline that had coursed through them along the entire duration of the ride, said Hunter gripped my arm. At first I figured he was steadying himself for similar reasons. Then I noticed the guarded stance he had taken up. Alarmed, I followed his gaze to see one of the oddest creatures I had ever laid eyes on…well, right after Rha'zin anyway. It was short, _really _short, and had skin as green as the leaves of the towering palms around us. Its face looked scrunched, as if it had just eaten something sour and was attempting to bear with the consequences. It, too, had pointed ears.

"Stand back, Hum. Goblins work for the Horde." Unandel mumbled commandingly.

Curiosity getting the better of me, as it always did, I snatched my arm from the Night Elf's grip and crouched down so that I was level with the creature. It glared back at me suspiciously.

"So you're a Goblin?"

It made an odd, grunting sound and pulled back its lips in what looked like an odd sort of smile, revealing sharpened, yellow teeth. I waited patiently for a response, but when the Goblin's expression didn't change I began to consider that maybe it wasn't smiling after all. Strangely encouraged by this, I pressed on.

"I've never seen a Goblin before."

"And I've never seen a freakin', purple giant like you before. What do you want, huh? You tryin' to get on my bad side?"

What an odd accent. Instead of being affronted like I probably should have, I was intrigued. This was my second meeting with a member of the Horde. They sure were interesting beings.

"I'm only trying to learn."

The Goblin made another strange sound and waved a large hand at me.

"Well go learn somewhere else then. I ain't a teacher."

I was suddenly hoisted up by the arm, and I tilted my head to see Unandel giving me a stern look.

"Don't associate with the creature. It might attempt to corrupt you."

My eyes widened in incredulity.

"I'm just trying to adapt. He's more accustomed to this place than either you or I. Maybe he'll help us."

The Goblin cackled and then ambled behind us to shoo off the Hippogryph. We watched it fly away, back in the direction we had come from. I was more amazed by the fact that such a small creature could scare off a Hippogryph that was more than twice his size than by the fact that we had just lost our ride back to Ashenvale.

"I don't help _nobody_, girlie. I'm just a humble Flight Master."

The Hunter beside me looked just about ready to snap at that point, so, to keep an unnecessary fight from breaking out, I placed a hand on the Night Elf's shoulder and steered him around so that our backs were turned to the Goblin. I leaned in close to whisper.

"Let's not do anything that will bring attention to our presence. Remember, this is an _undercover _mission."

Silver eyes narrowed, swirling with agitation for several seconds before they settled into calm pools of regretful acceptance. I tightened my hand on his shoulder briefly, my silent way of thanking him for his cooperation, and then released him. We turned around to address the Goblin once more.

"Flight Master, we-"

"Name's Bragok."

I had half a mind to scold him on the sudden interruption. However, the disturbing thought that I would end up sounding like aunt Belif kept my tongue firmly in check.

"Bragok, we aren't familiar with this place. Will you please give us a brief description of the area?"

The Goblin regarded me uncertainly with his honey-colored eyes. I put on my best innocent and helpless face. Unfortunately, he didn't buy it.

"I don't need a couple of oversized Alliance freaks hangin' over my shoulder all day. Why don't you head on back the way you came, eh? I'm sure your frolickin', tree-huggin' friends are missin' you."

I tensed in the same moment that Unandel lunged forward. Surprisingly, the Hunter was much faster than he looked. His fingers closed around the metal harness straps that crossed over the small creature's chest, and he lifted Bragok a few feet off of the ground so that they were nearly nose-to-nose. The Night Elf was practically foaming at the mouth in his fit of rage.

"How _dare _you insult my people in such a way! I should have your head for-"

Panicked, I slapped a hand over the Hunter's mouth and pinched his wrist with the other, expertly triggering a nerve. His arm went limp, causing him to release the Goblin, who of which was definitely not happy at this point. In fact, he scrambled back several meters just to be sure that the anger-driven Night Elf wouldn't dive for him a second time.

"You bloody beast! You tryin' to kill me, huh?"

I swung my head around to throw the Goblin a pleading look.

"He wouldn't go that far! He's just-"

"Damn right I am!"

Alright, that's enough out of you, pal. My hands shot up to either side of Unandel's neck, striking the sensitive pressure points. With a garbled squawk, he collapsed in a heap by my feet. Bragok just looked between us in bafflement. After a about a minute or so of staring at each other, though, he gave a shaky sigh and cautiously lifted himself back up onto his feet. I watched as he brushed himself off and then lifted his head to glare at me.

"You always gotta keep a leash on your boyfriend like that?"

I blushed furiously. How dare he imply that I held affection for such a revolting person! My mouth fumbled for words.

"He's not my boyfriend! I don't like him one bit! He's irritating, a total blockhead, a gigantic flirt, has no manners, and-and…and I just don't like him." There, that sounded good enough to me.

The Flight Master's eyes were wider than I had seen them so far. The next thing I know, he was doubled-over in laughter. Both irritated and humiliated by his response, I clicked my tongue in condemnation and hoisted my unconscious companion onto my back. I gave the Goblin one, final glower of repugnance before stomping off down the nearest path, not sparing a second to decide on which direction I should be traveling in. Bragok's hideous laughter berated my ears as I went.

* * *

I didn't bother to ask anyone else for help as I carried on along the cobblestone road through Ratchet. As of this moment, I declared the townsfolk as being snobby, rude, and too taken by themselves to see the struggles of another living being. Maybe I was over-exaggerating. I mean, that Goblin did strike a low blow in suggesting that I liked Unandel, and I probably took it a little more personally then what was necessary. Bowing my head in a somewhat shameful manner, I decreased my pace as we reached the bottom of a hill. Wearily, I studied it, attempting to see the top, and dreaded having to lug my Night Elf companion all the way up. Well, I suppose I asked for this, knocking him out and all. So, conceding to my fate with a defeated sigh, I began the painful trek to my impending doom.

I had made it three quarters of the way up when my left leg began to cramp. Okay, honestly, my whole body was burning with the effort at this point. I did pretty well for being what I was, though. Seriously, it's not like I'm a super macho Warrior or something. For a Rogue in training, I think I did splendidly well. So, I relaxed a bit and readied my arms to lower the Hunter to the ground. Sadly, I was never able to get that far.

"Sheba!"

Soon enough, I found myself crushed against the ground by a much heavier weight. It took me a while to figure out that it was actually Unandel himself that had caused it. Who the hell is Sheba? The weight shifted, and, miraculously, I was able to push myself up onto my elbows. Taking a deep breath to calm my nerves, I slowly glared over my shoulder at the startled Night Elf that lay sprawled across my back.

"What the hell?!" He sputtered and stumbled to his feet in the same manner as an old drunkard.

"Thank you for taking the words right out of my mouth, idiot!" I clambered to my feet and stretched my back painfully, wincing as it popped in unnatural places.

Unandel stared at me. Like, _really_ stared. Eventually, it got to the point where I started to feel self-conscious about my appearance, which is something I _never _concern myself with. Absentmindedly, I reached up to brush a few loose strands of hair from my face and mentally cursed myself for almost blushing.

"What?"

He swallowed and averted his gaze quickly. I gawked as the tips of his ears turned a shade darker than the rest of his mauve skin. He was embarrassed.

"Well, I was just thinking that it's not fair…"

"What's not fair?" I lifted a slender brow quizzically.

Again, he avoided my gaze.

"You were having a good time taking advantage of me while I was-"

Halfway through his mumbled sentence I had taken off one of my boar hide boots, which, mind you, were rather heavy, and slung it at his head. An audible '_thunk' _was heard, and I watched in satisfaction as the Hunter fell to the ground. He clutched at his head painfully while I whirled around and continued on my way up the hill.

"What was that for?!"

I ignored him.

"Hum!"

He'll get bored in time.

"Humming!"

My eyebrow twitched. Stupid pervert. Regrettably, Unandel had quickened his steps to match mine. He gave me an apologetic look and rubbed at his sore temple. There was a noticeable bump there. Good.

"Listen, I know we got off on the wrong foot and all, but I'd really like to start over."

I scoffed.

"I have a feeling that if you try and start over then I'll only be more willing to throw my other boot at your head."

Abashed, the victim of my perfect pitch handed me the shoe in question. I took it from him without a word and hopped as I slipped it on while walking. The Hunter puckered his lips thoughtfully as he observed me.

"I am under the impression that you dislike me for some odd reason."

I nearly tripped.

"Really?! And just when did this idea come to light exactly?"

He inclined his head thoughtfully.

"Mm…probably when you grabbed my hand back when we were mounting the Hippogryphs in Lor'danel."

If it were ethical to slap him then I'd most certainly do it. The moment he recalled was the only time that I had ever done anything near enough to be considered 'friendly' with him.

"Why then?"

His silver eyes narrowed.

"I'm not sure…I just felt as if you were threatening me."

I was about to retort when, suddenly, something occurred to me.

"So...who's Sheba?"

The look of absolute horror that overcame his face was priceless. The next thing I know, Unandel was crouching in the middle of the path with his head in his hands.

"Elune be cursed…I left her back at Lor'danel! My poor, little kitten…"

Ah, the tiger. At a loss of what to do or how to comfort this sorry excuse of a man, I squatted down beside him and patted his shoulder reassuringly.

"Maybe this is a good chance to expand your horizons. There are plenty of beasts out here that you can tame, right?"

He lifted his head and scowled.

"Are you suggesting that I replace Sheba? What kind of monster are you? Next time you want to spend time with me maybe I'll just replace you with some other random chick."

It was my turn to drop my head into my hands. Elune behold...we had already gotten off to a rocky start.


	5. One-Armed Savior

**I feel that this chap was a little too easy to write...so, of course, I'm completely dissatisfied with it. Yet, it still follows along with the desired plot so...?**

**-.-' Enjoy? Haha, thanks for reading~ ^^ I very much appreciate all of your views.**

* * *

Despite his previous rejection of substituting Sheba for another beast, Unandel, after some time and rough convincing, attempted to capture one of the nearby, lazy lions that were scattered about the grassy, plains-like terrain. _Attempted_ is the key word in this case, for, each time he tried, he failed. Ironically, I ended up doing all of the work. Every lion that he angered was one I had to kill, lest it go on a rampage and chew us to bits. After about the thirteenth go, though, I was at my limit.

"Unandel, that's enough!" I grabbed his wrist warningly before he had the chance to raise it again and send us both to our deaths.

The Hunter glowered at me. Then he let out a sigh of frustration and reached back for his bow.

"Ah, whatever. I don't need any pet other than Sheba anyway. From now on I'll just stick to my marksmanship skills." He affirmed this while drawing back the string of his beautifully carven longbow in a practice aim.

I gave him a small nod. Well, at least he was being somewhat obedient now. After that, things became rather peaceful. Unandel didn't breathe a word, and I got to satisfy my ever-growing curiosity whilst observing my surroundings as we continued along the same cobblestone path. The grass and the trees were incredibly different from the foliage of Ashenvale and Darkshore. They seemed duller in comparison to physical appearance, however, the life I could sense churning within was no less vast. Drawn by this strange variance from what I was generally accustomed to, I lightly veered off of the road and came to a stop by a nearby tree. Its bark, upon closer speculation, was rough and rigid. I placed a hand on it and felt the corners of my lips twitch upwards at the unfamiliar pulse of energy within.

"What are you doing?"

I glanced over my shoulder at the other Night Elf and grinned, probably the first, true sign of happiness that I had shown him as of yet. Flustered by the action, Unandel slipped his bow back into the strap on his back and strode over to where I stood.

"It's so different from the other trees," I explained.

He inclined his head to one side, frowning.

"Yeah, well, there is quite a divide between Horde and Alliance. So I would assume the landscape would vary in the same manner as the people do."

For once he had offered a rather reasonable answer. Amused by this, I pressed on.

"I wonder why the colors are so strongly opposing, though. They're so bright and we're so…"

"Dark," he supplied.

"Yeah."

He shifted the majority of his weight onto his left leg and bent the knee of his right in a casual pose.

"I'd say the different areas of the world were already in such a state before our people, us as well as the Horde, first appeared. It's most likely a matter of adapting. We just happened to be spawned within the shady forests of an Alliance-claimed territory while the people of the Horde were brought up in places like this," he splayed his fingers out on the coarse bark beside mine, "that are littered with light and creatures that we have yet to discover."

I gave him a side-long look. Hilarity at his previous response had been replaced by outright wonder.

"Who told you that?"

The tips of his ears darkened. He had such a comical way of displaying his discomfiture.

"No one. I'm just speculating."

I couldn't help but laugh at his awkward expression. Instead of being exasperated like I thought he would, however, his eyes lit up at the sound, and he turned to face me. Before he could open his mouth to say anything, though, I skipped back over to the edge of the path and beckoned him to follow. After a few moments' worth of hesitating, he deflated and trudged after me. Whatever he had wanted to say, I'm sure I didn't want to hear it. At this point I had become quite familiar with his thinking patterns, and I wasn't in the mood to be trifled with.

We continued on in silence, which, for me, was absolute bliss. Glancing at my weary companion, on the other hand, I could tell he was crumbling on the inside. Every now and again I considered asking him about before, but then just as quickly shot down the thought. He'll get over it eventually. So, with nothing else to do, I took the time to pull out my map. My brow furrowed in concentration as I traced the path we had taken from Ratchet with my eyes. Ah, let's see… So, if we're here, then the place we're heading to is…The Crossroads. I bit my lip in a contemplative manner. Wasn't The Crossroads solely Horde territory?

"Hey, Unandel," he perked up and quickened his pace to match mine, "should we really be heading in this direction?" I kept my finger placed upon the tiny image of The Crossroads.

He frowned and held out his hands. I passed him the old, frayed parchment. His eyebrows tilted inwards as he studied it, and, after a minute or so, he grunted.

"No," he stopped abruptly, "I think now is the time to start planning."

I stopped as well and gave him an apprehensive look.

"Are you sure?"

"Absolutely," he tilted the map so that I could see it as he traced invisible lines running along either side of the Horde fortress, "See, going in through the front door is like declaring your death sentence. I'd rather not do that. So, I'd say we have multiple options to choose from."

His eyes flickered to my face to make sure I was following along before continuing.

"One: we can go around The Crossroads. However, as of recent, I've been informed that several Orc forces have set up encampments around the area. Which, I'm not sure they'd be too pleasant to run into," he frowned, "Two: we can disguise ourselves as members of the Horde and go straight through… No, scratch that, we'd get found out too quickly. Three: we could split up and head along different routes that completely bypass The Crossroads. Even though it would take a lot longer to move past, we'd be less likely to run into some sort of trouble."

I lifted a brow inquisitively.

"Why would we need to split up?" Don't get me wrong, I'm not shooting down the idea to part ways with this guy; I just want to know his reasoning.

"We're collecting intellect right? More information can be collected this way," he eyed me, suddenly worried, "Maybe we should just stick with the first plan and hope that we-"

I waved a hand flamboyantly, brushing his concerns aside.

"We need more information, and this way is less dangerous, right? I'm all for the third option."

Unandel hesitated.

"But you're…"

"A _girl_?"

The Hunter clamped his mouth shut and exhaled through his nose in a restrained manner. We glared at each other for a good few minutes before the other Night Elf finally threw up his hands in defeat.

"Alright! You win! Let's split up!"

"Please don't make it sound as if we were going out."

At that comment he bowed his head and motioned over his shoulder with his thumb.

"Yeah, well, I guess I'll just head back that way then."

I smirked.

"Sure, and I'll go this way," I declared as I swiveled around on my heel.

Unandel called after me as I marched purposefully off of the road and towards the aforementioned direction I had offered.

"Be careful!"

I yelled back without turning around.

"You too!" I was merely being nice. Really, from what I'd witnessed of his prowess so far, he was going to need way more help than me.

Little did I know how wrong I was…

* * *

It didn't take me long to realize, in a fit of despair, that I had left my map with that idiot of a Hunter. I was currently struggling through some thick underbrush and failing miserably. The unnaturally green fronds continuously clung to my legs and waist and just _wouldn't let go_. I twisted left and right, I pulled at the sturdy stems and vines, and even went so far as to retrieve my daggers and cut my way through. However, every attempt proved to be futile, for, once one plant was taken care of, another immediately took its place. Irritated beyond belief, I tossed back my head and shouted at the towering trees above me.

"What the hell is wrong with this forest?!"

No, it wasn't even a forest. How did uncle describe it again…green, wet, and filled with all kinds of plants and animals? Ah, right, a _jungle._

"Stupid jungle," I corrected stubbornly.

Truth be told, this is my first time setting foot in a jungle. It's also the last time I'd _want _to. From a distance it had captivated me, being a single splotch of color within a barren wasteland. So, I had figured that maybe I'd get to explore. Oh, but _no_. I had become this abnormal forest's unfortunate victim. Something tickled my arm, and I jerked away with an annoyed hiss. Honestly, Unandel's company would have been more preferred over this. I struggled a bit more against my restraints before coming to the understanding that fighting against the vegetation was only further cementing their hold on me.

"Elune be cursed," I grumbled while hacking away at the twisted vines caught around my waist.

Be it as it may, I was so engrossed by the task at hand that I didn't hear the steady clomping of hooves approaching me from behind. So, it was only logical that I jumped when a heavy hand fell upon my shoulder with a loud _'clap'_. Regrettably, I glanced up. Alright, now _this _was unquestionably the most hideous creature that I had ever laid eyes on. It was half man and half horse; the top half being that of a human while everything from the waist down was a shaggy, but sturdy stallion. I swallowed the thick lump that had settled itself in my throat before looking just a little higher to meet the creature's eyes, which were a swirling, unfathomable obsidian.

"This be rare sight." It had a grating, guttural voice that sent a shiver of unease coursing down my spine. It also didn't fail to pass my notice that the creature had addressed me in Low Common.

I licked my suddenly dry lips but didn't provide a response. That only seemed to provoke it, and I didn't bother to hide my grimace as the beast lifted its grimy hand and pinched my cheek.

"Elf be far from home. Lost her way?" It chuckled, completely entertained.

I barely refrained from growling as it continued with its examination of my face. A finger, caked with dirt, traced a strange pattern at the center of my forehead. It leaned forward, bathing my skin in its putrid breath.

"Elf scared?"

This time, I snarled, snapping my teeth threateningly at its hand as the creature withdrew sharply, startled.

"I'm not scared of you."

Furious, the creature reared its foul head and struck me. I gasped in pain as its large fist connected with my jaw. That was the first time I had intentionally been hit before. Somewhat astonished, I gawked at the beast, unsure of how to respond. The creature, however, was already leaning in again. It roughly grabbed my chin.

"Elf should be," it mumbled.

At that precise moment, the sound of more hooves pounded against my eardrums. Horrified, I writhed against the unyielding fronds and jerked my head free from the horse man's grasp. Just as I did so, though, I caught sight of several more of the beasts pushing their way through the surrounding undergrowth. They gave me predatory looks and warily began to close in. Yet, despite my still-growing fear, I met their gazes fiercely, daring them to attack. Unfortunately for me, that's exactly what they had decided to do. The nearest one let out a loud cry, be it for battle or rage I wouldn't know, and then they charged. My eyes shut on their own, unwilling to bear witness to my inevitable outcome.

The first blow was the worst, but that was probably only because my body was made so numb by the numerous others that followed that I wasn't able to perceive the rest. They came all at once, not even bothering to spare the time to humiliate me with words. They were brutal, straight-forward, and _strong_. Never before had I been in this sort of position. Never before had I been beaten so senselessly. Never before had I been so _scared. _My eyes fluttered open every now and again on instinct, attempting to predict where the next fist or hoof would come from. Yet, it was all to no avail. My consciousness had already begun to falter. The world had grown incredibly dark, and, soon enough, I felt my will to endure slip soundly from my grasp. My head lolled back, just barely being supported by one of the smooth vines that encircled my neck, and I felt my muscles loosen. Well, this was it. I had always wondered what death would feel like. If I had known that it would be this painful, though, I most likely would have never even considered pondering over it. My eyes flitted open one last time to a see the mighty fist of the large horse man from before closing in on my face. I barely had time to swallow. Then…

Nothing.

"I be tinkin' ya be da most foolish Elfie I eva' met, mon."

That voice, the one that I swore I'd never forget since that day in Ashenvale four months ago… Elune, that voice was a blissful melody to my now-dimming ears. I attempted to call out to him, to respond in some way to let him know how grateful I was, but, for some reason, all words had escaped me. The world was fading fast, and I was having trouble keeping up with it. The last thing I recall before losing my last shred of rational thought was the feeling of a warm, familiar hand on my face.

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**Cookie: Thanks again! I'll try to update as often as I can so that you can look forward to the next chapter~**

**Connet: Your comments made me laugh XD Thanks very much!**


	6. Uncanny Guide

***Sorry if there are any major grammar/spelling problems...I reread it three times and edited, but I might've missed something***

**Things are heating up now~ Lol, I always look forward to writing the next part. (Sorry, my posting patterns all messed up...I'm actually on vacation in Memphis right now -_-' So, I've been all up and down) **

**Disclaimer is the same (I don't own Blizzard characters/places; only the ones I created); also, there's a quote in here that I used from the actual game. The quote that Rha'zin uses about Trolls believing in 'frequent reincarnation' and whatnot is a voice macro (/flirt) option XD I praise you highly if you know exactly which one I'm talking about. **

**Also (personal input here) I'm really hating Unandel...I don't even know why. He's just so detestable...**

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"Elfie?"

I groaned and rolled over, only to find myself rolling back the other way in discomfort. Wow, that hurt. Why was I in so much pain again? A foggy recollection of overwhelming green and a hideous face swam back into my rising consciousness. Ah, that's right. I was almost killed, wasn't I? No…I _should _be dead. So, why aren't I?

"Would ya hold still! 'Ol Rha'zin can't fix ya if ya be squirmin' 'round like a snake."

Rha'zin? My eyes shot open and I sat up in hurry. Big mistake. Agony ripped through my entire right side, forcing me back to the ground mercilessly. However, before my head could collide with the ground, something caught it. Taking a moment to wince, I glanced up to meet a familiar pair of sunset-orange eyes. The large Troll gave me a grin and gingerly lowered the back of my head to rest upon something much softer than the cold, unforgiving earth. Amazed by his very presence, I stared at him, wondering just how long this dream would last. Half-expecting him to disappear, I reached up and tugged at one of his tusks as he leaned over to scrutinize one of my various injuries. Alarmed, he froze and then reached up to remove my hand.

"Dat doesn't come off, ya know." He stated bemusedly.

I blinked owlishly. So…this was reality. For some reason, I found that extremely hilarious. Naturally, I started laughing, and Elune, did it hurt. Nonetheless, I couldn't contain the uncontrollable gasps of hilarity that burst from my lips of their own accord. Maybe it was because I was so relieved. Maybe it was because I was alive. Or maybe it was because Rha'zin was here. I'd only met him once, so it's not like there was any sort of strong connection between us…but as strange as it may seem something inside me just couldn't let him go; the sound of his voice, the sight of his face, the gleam in his eyes… I had missed it all.

"Rha'zin," I rasped with some difficulty. I hadn't realized that my throat had also fallen victim to the horse peoples' abuse.

The Troll leaned over me again, curious and surprised.

"Ya mon? Sometin' hurt?"

Another short laugh escaped me. The tears came shortly after. I was so happy that I was crying? No…I was traumatized? Elune… Why am I crying? Stubbornly, I managed to lift my left arm up and lay it across my eyes, hiding them from my unexpected savior. What had previously been giggles were now heart-shaking sobs that racked my body painfully. Why? Why, why, why, why? What's wrong with me?

"Ya heart?"

Not trusting my voice, I nodded and then shook my head to show that I was completely bewildered by my own behavior. I followed my confusion with a half-hearted shrug. Then, suddenly, my arm was lifted. I protested with a weak groan and glared up at the offender. However, my breath caught in my throat at the foreign look the Horde member was giving me. Without my consent, I felt hot blood rush up to my face.

"Wh-what?"

A strange sound, akin to a low purr, rumbled in his chest. He leaned even closer, one of his tusks nearly poking my cheek as he did so. Despite my position, I mustered up the strength to scoot back a few inches in order to put some distance between us. He chuckled.

"I can fix dat, yeah?"

Befuddled, I looked around, wondering what he was talking about. Noticing my confusion, a blue finger tapped my chest, right over my heart. The previous blush came back full force once the implication of his words settled in place.

"Ah-n…I don't-no, that's okay… I'm sure it will heal on its own."

Rha'zin frowned a bit and straightened, giving me the space I desired. Then he smirked and rubbed his fingers together.

"Too bad ya don't 'ave da healin' plants, mon. I could fix ya right up wit' dose."

I gave him a cautious look, never certain about his true intentions. He regarded my expression for a moment before offering a lopsided smile. His hand reached out to me, and for the first time since I had awoken to his company, I took notice of his lack of a left arm. Somewhat guiltily, I motioned to it.

"Does it give you trouble?"

He barked a laugh, which was much the opposite of the reaction I was expecting from him. The Troll startled me further by drawing a long dagger from his loose belt and leveling it at my face. At this point, I had no idea what to think of him anymore.

"Wanna test me?"

I gave my head a sharp shake. What was he, nuts?

"Not really."

The euphoric light gradually died in his orange eyes, and, before I had time to realize what was going on, Rha'zin had replaced his blade in its leather sheath and crouched beside me. Perplexed, I gave him a 'raised brow' look. He draped his arm over his right knee and shifted his jaw obstinately. However, he didn't answer my unvoiced question. Rolling my eyes, I wiggled into a more comfortable position and sighed. Why is he so impossibly hard to understand? One moment he's a hero, the next he's a flirt, and now this. Silence passed between us. For a while, nothing could be heard except for the constant whispering of the plains land wind brushing through the tall, dry grass. It was kind of comforting, in its own odd, sort of way.

"Yer name is Hummingmoon, yeah?"

Surprised by the sudden question and by the fact that he actually remembered, I made a small noise of confirmation and observed him from the corner of my eye. He was gazing at me peculiarly. My eyes narrowed as he reached up to fiddle idly with one of the trinkets that hung from his hair.

"Does it really?"

Orange clashed with silver in a single instant before I quickly averted my gaze. My fingers subconsciously picked at the cracked dirt beneath me.

"What are you talking about?"

He crept forward about two steps in an attempt to catch my eye again. I was quite the hard-head fool, though.

"Da moon. Does it really hum?"

I scoffed and rolled back over onto my side. So now he's making fun of me?

"My people be taken by da sun, but 'ol Rha'zin always liked da moon betta'."

"Why?" I questioned him without turning around to see his reaction. Sure, I didn't act interested, but, deep down, I was really burning to know.

"'Cause I was born dat way."

I clicked my tongue against the roof of my mouth.

"That's a terrible reason. Your affections aren't affected by birth, but by experience."

"It may be different for ya, mon."

I couldn't help it; I tilted my head back to gaze up at him. He stared right back with nothing but sincerity glowing in his eyes. Within less than a second I was captivated.

"We Trolls mate for life," he struggled to hold back a laugh at the face I made, "'Cause we believe in frequent reincarnation." Well the conversation had definitely escalated quickly.

"That's…romantic?" How else was I supposed to reply?

He simpered.

"Mo' like tradition."

"Do you not favor it?"

He cocked his head to one side in careful consideration before answering. I couldn't help but marvel at his tusks as he did so. What can I say? They were weird. Then again, so was the rest of him.

"Mmm…I would rada be my own sort of self."

Oh, so he's like me then? I decided to edge a little closer to what I figured to be a landmine.

"Is that why you haven't killed me yet?"

Something glinted in his orange eyes, and he opened his mouth, probably to retort, however, he was interrupted by the sound of an outraged cry. Alarmed, both of our eyes flickered over to the far edge of the clearing we were settled in where tall grass met with the edge of the emerald-green jungle. Something was tearing its way through the undergrowth…something clumsy and very conspicuous. I nearly covered my eyes at the sudden wave of humiliation that I felt _for _the imprudent fool that I knew was approaching. For, I had easily recognized that annoying, pigheaded voice that had cried out my name.

"Humming!"

I scowled in the same instant that Rha'zin jolted up and slinked over to stand in front of me, taking up a defensive position. His eyes locked on to the fumbling figure of the Night Elf Hunter as it neared at a quickening pace. A low growl reverberated from deep inside his chest and rose into his throat. My eyes widened, panicked, when I caught a glimpse of Unandel drawing back the string of his bow. I held out a hand desperately.

"Unandel, wait! He's-"

I was too late. A deep _'thunk' _sounded as the arrow was let loose. Rha'zin, however, didn't budge an inch, even when the head of the arrow imbedded itself in the worn, leather armor that partially covered his torso. I ogled at him, amazed as he simply plucked the weapon from his armor in a similar manner as a gardener pulling a weed out of dirt, and tossed it onto the ground beside him. Faltering at the action, Unandel skidded to a stop several meters away and glared. The guy was trying hard to look cool; I at least respected him for that. Still, the other Night Elf was visibly shaken by his failure to make an impression on the enemy.

"Ya be playin' wit' a child's toy, mon." The Troll slid out his dagger.

Alright, Unandel attacking Rha'zin was one thing, but if Rha'zin decided to attack Unandel…well, I've got a pretty good idea who'd fall first. So, thinking rationally, I painfully clambered to my feet and stumbled over to the one-armed Troll. I reached up to place a shaky hand on his shoulder. Surprised, he turned his head to regard me.

"Don't hurt him, please. I know he's not too bright…and he's kind of irritating, but he's my-"

"I'm her friend, don't hurt her!" Unandel blurted out.

Rha'zin lowered his blade, eyes flickering back and forth between myself and the other Night Elf quizzically.

"H-Hummingmoon! If you can walk then come over here! That Troll is much too dangerous to be so close to!"

I glanced at the Hunter and would have outright laughed at his expression if the situation had been any less befuddling. So, instead, I beckoned him forward. Dumbfounded, the Night Elf shook his head.

"Have you lost your mind?! That's a Troll! I'm sure he wouldn't hesitate to-"

"Unandel!"

He jumped a little, considered me for a minute or two, and then suspiciously, _very _suspiciously, walked over to stand just a few feet away from me. Slowly, he reached out to grab my arm. However, before the tips of his fingers could come into contact with my skin, Rha'zin had thrown his arm around my shoulders, hauled me back, and snarled warningly at Unandel. Astonished, I looked up at the Troll, ready to protest, but the feral look on his face shut me up rather quickly.

"Ya say ya be 'er friend? I don't believe it is so."

Unandel swallowed thickly but stood his ground.

"Obviously, we're both of the same race."

"Dat means notin'."

"Hummingmoon," the Hunter turned his eyes to me, "tell him. Aren't we friends?"

My tongue felt like cotton in my mouth. We were friends, weren't we? Of course we were. We came here on this mission together. So, why am I so reluctant to back him up? Rha'zin's large fingers tightened on my arm. I gazed up at him. He caught my eye. My mouth managed to form a few words.

"We're comrades."

Something glinted through his eyes at the revelation, and, after a few moments' worth of pondering, the large hand released me. I staggered a bit, but soon found myself being steadied by much smaller ones. Warm breath brushed against my ear, and a strong chest pressed against my back. I shivered.

"Are you alright?"

My mind still a bit foggy by the whole exchange, I nodded.

"Then let's go." It was an urgent whisper, not meant to be heard by anyone but me.

He tugged me back a bit, and, reluctantly, my feet followed. We didn't get very far, though.

"Where ya being goin' wit'out me, mon?"

Both Unandel and I paused and glanced over our shoulders as the large Troll strolled up to us. He smirked down at me, and I couldn't help but quirk a quick grin back at the familiar glint of mischief that I saw shining in his orange eyes. He moved to stand between us, clearly frustrating the other Night Elf.

"Ya be on Horde territory now, mon. 'Ol Rha'zin will be your guide."

The two shared a hostile look, and I found myself wondering just how things had turned out this way and how this odd, little traveling group was going to fair in the future.


	7. Of Children and Nicknames

**Yay~ Sorry, this took me a while. I typed it on a six hour long car ride T~T Anywho, I've finally found my comfortable writing pace again! Please enjoy~ **

**Special thanks to Cookie and Connet for the continuous reviews :D**

**Guest: Thanks very much!**

**ForGG: Thanks~ Also, by 'STV' do you mean Stranglethorn Vale? If so, then I'd like to clear any misunderstandings for your convenience; so far, the setting of the story has only taken place in my made-up town, DuskenVale as well as Ashenvale, Darkshore, Ratchet, and the Northern Barrens in general. I believe I've only mentioned Stranglethorn once, and that would be in this chapter. Sincerest apologies if I'm wrong, though! **

* * *

"Enlighten me…why am I in this position again?"

I bounced a bit on a large shoulder as Rha'zin let out a low chuckle. We had only made it about twenty feet from the spot where I woke up before my legs had abruptly failed to cooperate. So, our new 'guide', highly entertained by my inability to maneuver on my own, saw my misfortune as a chance to prove himself worthy of being helpful. His way of helping out, though, was something I most definitely hadn't been expecting. While I sat on the ground in frustration with Unandel hovering over me frantically, the merry Troll had promptly bent over and slung me across his shoulder. The other Night Elf, of course, had made a big deal out of the action. As a matter of fact, he still was.

"I would also like to know. Hummingmoon did not give you permission to do such a thing." Said Hunter grumbled.

Rha'zin glanced over his unoccupied shoulder at the Elf and pouted.

"I'm bein' a gentleman."

"What gentleman hauls a woman over his shoulder and meanders with her across enemy territory?"

"Would ya rada I left 'er back dere?"

"I'm only saying that it would be better if you allowed someone more capable to do the carrying."

The Troll stopped at this and completely turned around to face Unandel, leaving me with a not-so-impressive view of a wide expanse of a barren, grassy landscape. I sighed. Here they go again…

"Capable in what way?"

I heard the Night Elf snort humorlessly, as if the answer should be obvious and the Troll was an idiot for not being able to figure it out himself.

"You've only got one arm, and I've got two. Obviously, it would be much easier for me to carry her."

"Ya don't tink I can take care of myself wit one arm?"

"No, I'm saying that you _shouldn't _be doing strenuous activities with only one arm. If you're not careful then you'll lose that arm as well."

"Dis arm is stronga den bot' o' yers put togeda."

I nearly let out a yelp of surprise as I felt myself being tilted downwards. Rha'zin had straightened up exponentially in response to Unandel's comment, meaning he was taking the Elf's words as a challenge. There was a long pause, and I guessed the Hunter was considering. I silently pleaded that the guy had enough sense to back off.

"I may not be a warrior, but I do know that it takes muscle to draw back the string of a bow. I am more than capable."

Suddenly, I felt myself being lowered. Oh no. My head shot up in disbelief as Rha'zin set me carefully on the ground and turned back to glare at Unandel, a stern look settling on his face. The Hunter crouched defensively and quickly reached back to retrieve his bow at the same time that his opponent drew his long, jagged dagger. I threw up my hands in incredulity.

"Really? You guys are doing this _now_? There are places we have to be!"

Silver eyes darted in my direction for half a second before flickering back to settle on the Horde member before the Night Elf. He gave his head a small shake.

"Sorry, Hum, this is something personal."

Rha'zin tilted his head to acknowledge the Hunter's words.

"I be surprised ya 'ave da confidence to say such tings, mon."

Unandel growled angrily and notched an arrow, aiming it expertly at the Troll's chest.

"And I am surprised that you have the confidence to doubt me in such a way."

Right before he released the string, however, I was up and moving. Despite my aching limbs, I skidded to a stop between the two idiots and unsheathed my daggers before anyone had a chance to blink. The Night Elf released his arrow and let out a short gasp an instant after he realized what he had done. I, on the other hand, was more skilled than either of the two had bothered to comprehend, and, without a shred of hesitation, I deflected the arrow with the side of one of my blades. A sharp _'ting' _was heard as the weapon was ricocheted off into the surrounding grass. Silence met my ears. So, claiming this meaningless soon-to-be scuffle as my victory, I raised my head purposefully and sent both sides an irritated glare.

"This is no time to be playing soldier, _boys_. So, if you would be so kind as to act like the adults you claim yourselves to be, then I'd very much like for us to be on our way now. Like I said, there are things we have to do, and there is a certain amount of ground that we need to cover today."

With that being said, I whirled around and marched off in the direction we had previously been heading in, missing the impressed glance that the two behind me shared. Soon enough, though, they caught up to me. Unandel flanked my right and Rha'zin my left. The Night Elf cleared his throat uncertainly.

"Would you like me to carry-"

"My legs are working just fine, aren't they?"

Unandel's ears darkened from lavender to a deep indigo. The Troll laughed.

"Ya be a feisty one, yeah? Ya mot'er be dat way too?"

Surprised, I lifted a brow.

"My mother?"

"Yeah, mon. It be a sayin' dat Troll girls end up bein' just like deir mot'ers. I figure it'd be dat way for oda races too."

For some reason that thought made me smile. Does that mean I'm like my mother then? I'd like that.

"You're people have some interesting beliefs."

Rha'zin puffed out his chest proudly.

"O' course! We hail from da mighty jungles o' Strangletorn. We brought wit us our many customs dat make us who we are."

Well that was certainly interesting.

"The Trolls came from Stranglethorn?"

He gave a nod of affirmation and reached up to remove the single bangle that encircled his stump of a left arm. I held out my hands to take it as he offered it to me. It certainly was pretty. The top half was a peach-orange, flecked with black and gold, and trailed off at the bottom in a cloudy white. Along the center of it, evenly space out, sat three, teal-green gems of some sort. He tapped it gently.

"Dis band be made o' waptor scales. Tough stuff," he grinned and moved his finger to rest upon one of the gems, "And dis here be carved and cut out o' basilisk crystals. Nice, yeah?"

I gawked at it in awe and tilted it so that the gems shone a deeper hue in the concentrated light of the setting sun.

"It's absolutely breath-taking," I whispered, almost afraid that speaking too loudly would tarnish its magnificence.

An odd gleam settled in warm, orange eyes. After a few moments of looking between my expression and the bangle, the Troll gingerly curled my fingers around the band. Startled, I glanced up at him. He supplied a knowing smile.

"For da Elfie."

My eyes widened in astonishment, and I attempted to hand it back to him.

"Oh, no, I couldn't possibly-"

He lowered his head so that one of his tusks brushed against my temple for no more than a heartbeat.

"For da Elfie who saved 'ol Rha'zin, I be honored to give 'er a piece o' me in return."

I swallowed. Then, with great care, I slipped the scaly band just above my left bicep and fastened it so that it didn't slip off. Strangely, it complimented my light, purple skin. Ecstatic by this discovery, I looked up at Rha'zin to mention it. However, the Troll was no longer looking at me. In fact, he was almost glowering at something behind me. Alarmed, I tilted my head to the side just in time to see Unandel quickly avert his gaze. Ah, so that's what it was. What was with those two? There's no reason they shouldn't get along now that we had all decided to travel together.

"Ah, I almost forgot. Hummingmoon, here's the map." My Night Elf companion suddenly spoke up.

I reached up, about to take the offered parchment, when, unexpectedly, Rha'zin let out a laugh.

"No need for a ting like dat! I know dis place like da back o' my hand."

Oh, right. We had a fully-fledged Horde member showing us the way, didn't we? Somewhat abashedly, I withdrew my hand, not missing the frustrated scowl that crossed the Hunter's face. Now what was wrong with him? It took a few minutes for Unandel to muster up the courage to address me again.

"So, the Troll said you saved him, right? Exactly how long have you two known each other?"

Rha'zin and I shared an odd look. Technically, Horde and Alliance weren't supposed to communicate outside of the general battlefield. However, I had healed him, and he had let me go instead of capturing or killing me. In all honesty, we had broken a rule, a _big _one. So, admitting to that would obviously not be a wise choice. But then again… The Troll and I smirked at the same time, most likely thinking the same thing. Unandel _is _an idiot.

"I ran into him during the invasion of Astranaar a few months ago," recognition flitted through silver eyes, "I was mistaken for a trained rogue and ordered by one of the sentinels to gather herbs for the wounded."

"So dat's why ya been pullin' at my hair," Rha'zin asked amusedly.

I gave him an apologetic smile.

"Yeah, your hair looked very similar to a plant I was supposed to find, and I guess I was just a little too hasty to pick it to notice that it was actually hair," I twiddled my thumbs in an off-handed manner, "Anyway, after I figured out that he was actually a Troll, I kind of freaked out a bit."

Unandel tilted his head in a 'no, really?' sort of way and nodded for me to continue.

"So, it was a pretty normal Horde-Alliance interaction up until I noticed that he was in pain."

"My whole arm was missin' and she didn't even notice," the Troll supplied.

The listening Night Elf actually grinned.

"That would be something too difficult to _not _notice, wouldn't it?"

"Exactly what I thought," Rha'zin agreed energetically and leaned over, "and afta' I told 'er, da po' girl started shakin' like a leaf."

"Ironic," the Hunter chuckled, "considering you were the one in pain."

At this point, I'll honestly admit, I was a little miffed. How was it that these guys didn't get along when the subject concerned either one of them or their race, however, when it was about my horrible incompetence, they got on just swimmingly?

"Yeah, well, I still healed you with the herbs I gathered, you know. Without me you probably wouldn't even be here," I muttered, trying to gain some sort of respect to make up for my current disgrace.

A large hand grasped my bicep, startling me, and I looked sideways to see a large, blue finger stroking the decorated bangle around my arm. Orange eyes warmed me from the inside out.

"I know, mon. I know."

My face heated up, and, slightly disconcerted, I glanced away. However, my nervous eyes just so happened to rest upon a very disgruntled Night Elf. Before I could open my mouth to question him, Unandel had already grabbed my other arm and started to pull me towards him.

"Why don't you tell me the rest of your story, Hum?"

A slight tug came from my other arm. Bewildered, I look back at Rha'zin. He sneered, but not at me.

"It takes at least two pers'nal encounters to get a story straight, yeah?"

"I would trust Hummingmoon's word over yours any day, Troll."

As if remembering his place, Rha'zin released my arm, sending me stumbling into the Hunter. He just barely reacted fast enough to steady me before I fell. When I turned around to rebuke the Troll, however, I found myself biting my tongue. The rueful expression that had taken over his features twisted something inside of me, and, within the span of a few seconds, I had pried off purple fingers and sidestepped so that I was back in my previous spot between the two. Rha'zin perked up at the act. Unandel, unfortunately, frowned dismally whilst crossing his arms. In my head, though, I couldn't help but compare them to children. Who was guiding who again?

* * *

Setting up camp proved to be much easier than I had suspected it would be. Well, that's partly because I've never had the pleasure of doing so before. It's also because my two traveling buddies have finally ceased their bickering and made a temporary truce in order to effectively find shelter and start a fire. Earlier, Rha'zin warned us that he had sensed an approaching storm. Unandel, of course, brushed aside the Troll's claim as nothing more than a half-hearted jibe at his intelligence. His haughty mood, however, had later been dampened by the sudden, heavy downpour that exploded from a discreet covering of smoke-colored clouds. I did my best to refrain from laughing at the poor soul as he stubbornly avoided eye contact for the next hour or so afterwards. Eventually, though, the Troll had matter-of-factly suggested that it would be wise to seek cover once the steady rumble of thunder began to echo from the distant hills. The Hunter had no room and no dignity to deny Rha'zin's reasoning at that point. So, be it as it may, we happened to stumble across a rather roomy cave not too far from the road that led back to The Crossroads. All we had to do after that was look for some not-too-soaked branches and twigs and construct a small, makeshift fire. It wasn't much, but at least we were dry now.

We sat around the fire awkwardly, none of us willing to scoot one way or the other for fear that we would intrude on another's personal space. Unandel, though, had thrown me a couple of meaningful, but seemingly harmless, looks. I promptly ignored them. Rha'zin, on the other hand, crouched stiffly to my right, still as a statue. He was staring straight into the fire, concentrating deeply. I marveled at how the flickering tongues of heat reflected in his eyes, giving the glowing orbs themselves the appearance of being living flames. The light danced across his face, throwing tiny shadows beneath the cracked surface of his painted skin. His tusks, usually shining a pristine white, were now bathed in a golden yellow, seeming ivory-soft. Absentmindedly, I ran my right hand along the length of my left arm until I reached the armlet near my shoulder. My fingertips glided across the slick, yet still rough, surface. All the built up tension from earlier today slowly drained from my body as I continued to stroke the gift, familiarizing myself with the foreign texture. I wouldn't mind to pet a raptor. Scratch that; I would love to _see _a raptor. If I recall correctly, I do believe aunt Belif once said something about mama having one as a pet. What was its name again? Fegan? Tregan? Something like that…

"Whatcha grinnin' like dat for?"

My head rose sharply at the question, and it took me a few seconds to realize that a smile had indeed stretched its way across my face. I snorted and shook my head.

"It's nothing."

The Troll, being the excitable creature that he was, refused to let the subject drop. He scooted an almost invisible step forward. The fiery light in his eyes was raging.

"Smiles don't form from notin', mon. Ya be laughin' at sometin', yeah?"

Stubbornly, I shook my head a second time and lowered my gaze to study the small border of snowy ash that had formed around the smoldering branches near my feet. Watching things burn was interesting. Don't get me wrong, I'm not a pyromaniac or anything. I just find it rather fascinating to be able to witness the total corruption of an object as it is slowly overcome by a crisp, empty blackness.

"Ah, humor 'ol Rha'zin. I be dyin' o' boredom."

I tossed him an amused look before glancing over at Unandel. The pitiable oaf was already fast asleep, using his right arm as a temporary pillow while the other loosely gripped his bow. My heart strangely warmed at the sight. He must've been tired. It's been a pretty long day.

"Elfie-"

"My name is Hummingmoon. We've been over this once before."

He blinked in surprise. I inclined my head, regarded his expression, and couldn't help but smile.

"Hummin'moon," he mumbled.

I held up a finger resolutely.

"Friends call me Hum, though."

Orange eyes drifted over to linger upon the still figure of a snoozing Night Elf before swiveling back to consider me. He was probably thinking back to the numerous times that Unandel had called me 'Hum'…even though I never really gave the Hunter permission to call me that. Nevertheless, we _are _comrades, as I so blatantly stated before. So, I guess it's alright.

"Hum…"

I looked up at Rha'zin. He was staring at the ground intently, mumbling softly to himself. Curious, I leaned forward a bit.

"Hum…moon. No, moonbeam. Hummin'bird… bird wing? Wing bow… Mmm…"

Perplexed by his random string of nonsensical musings, I reached forward to poke him on the shoulder. However, right at that moment, the Troll's head jerked up, and he swiveled around to glare at the cave opening. At first I was bewildered, but, soon enough, I could depict the heavy sloshing of footsteps slogging through flooded earth. Alarmed, I jumped to my feet and moved to stand beside Rha'zin, but the Troll unexpectedly blocked me with his arm. I stiffened with every approaching step I heard until, finally, I shadowed figure stood, slightly hunched, at the mouth of the cave. Rha'zin slowly pulled out his dagger. Conversely, it was my turn to halt his movements. I'd recognize that spiky head of hair anywhere.

"Vendal?" I called cautiously.

The figure tensed. Then it moved a step further into the cave, confirming my suspicions. Wild, frightened, and uncertain eyes flitted about until pausing to lock on me. Immense relief pooled within those golden orbs.

"Hum-drum!"

Rha'zin glanced from the Druid to me before repeating the nickname in an awed whisper.

"Hum-drum…"


	8. Candid Cats

**Thanks for all of the reviews~**

**Sorry, this chap is late...and short. I had a pet emergency I had to take care of. Don't worry, all's good now (I just have a blind lizard; on the bright side, though, he's still alive) *thumbsup***

**~there was a tiny error towards the end, so I edited it~**

* * *

It had all happened so fast. One minute I'm peacefully conversing with a Troll, and then the next thing I know I'm being crushed by a pair of familiar, strong arms. Vendal had been shocked to see me; so shocked, in fact, that he still had yet to notice the presence of a certain Horde member hovering right behind him. Despite the fact that I was probably going to die of lack of air, I waved Rha'zin off and reached a hand up to smooth back lavender locks. The Night Elf was trembling lightly, something I wasn't used to. After some time passed, and the Druid hadn't so much as twitched, I began to feel scared. This definitely isn't his normal behavior. I pinched the tip of his ear gently, something I used to do back when we had started out our training together in order to get his attention. He had always had a short attention span. Luckily, though, Caldur had been there to balance him out and set him straight. However, the lack of said brother's attendance made something in me waver. Those two _never _separated.

"Vendal," I whispered softly, "what happened? Where's Caldur?"

The Druid stiffened and pulled away roughly. He gave me the most agonized look I do believe I had ever seen on his face before. It hurt deeply. His golden eyes were a rampant storm of mixed emotions, and he had absolutely no control over them. Sharp fingernails pricked at the surface of my skin, making me wince.

"Orcs," he growled, "they took him."

Dread coursed through me, and I couldn't stop myself from glancing behind the Night Elf to share a mortified look with Rha'zin. Orange eyes dimmed a bit as the Troll took an uncertain step forward. He placed a hand on Vendal's shoulder and shook it gently. Surprised, the Druid twisted his head around. He froze. I could practically _feel _the adrenaline coursing throughout his body as his muscles tensed. Before he had a chance to react, however, I squeezed his wrists.

"Vendal," his eyes darted in my direction distractedly before returning to gawk at Rha'zin, "and what of Geoff?"

He bared his teeth threateningly when the Troll's hand moved up to fiddle with his hair. Honestly, I had no idea what Rha'zin was doing. Nevertheless, that wasn't important right now.

"What the hell is a Troll do-"

"Geoff," I interrupted.

The Night Elf grimaced as the Troll tugged at a particularly sensitive area of his unruly mane. Still, he acted as I silently requested and answered my question without complaint.

"He sent me to search for you and Unandel," at that, he looked around until his eyes fell upon said Hunter, "He didn't say what he was going to do, but I figure he's following the beasts' trail in order to find Caldur. I think he wanted me to bring you back so you could—Elune be cursed! Let go of me you toad-faced bastard!"

Vendal snarled at Rha'zin and jerked back, effectively making the Troll withdraw his hand. I gave him an incredulous look.

"What are you doing with his hair?"

Rha'zin pouted and held up his fingers for me to observe. I blanched at the sight of the crimson liquid that trickled down onto his palm. Alarmed, my eyes jumped from the bloody digits to my Night Elf companion's face accusingly.

"You're injured?"

However, the Druid wasn't paying attention to me. Nope, he was gazing at Rha'zin with a mystified expression.

"You could tell," he asked, voice bordering on disbelief.

The Troll grinned widely at the other's avid attention and flared his nostrils deliberately.

"Trolls 'ave good sense o' smell, mon."

Golden eyes widened.

"You _smelled _it?"

"Yeah. I also smell a bit o' mutt in dere. Ya were attacked by one o' dere wolves?"

Vendal turned his head to look at me, awe very present on his face. I scowled. Alright, well at least they aren't trying to kill each other; that's a bonus, I suppose. Still, this new infatuation with a Troll's sense of smell was really throwing the topic at hand out of place. I took a deep breath, rekindling my patience.

"Vendal," he blinked at me, "is your wound in urgent need of treatment."

He inclined his head, only giving the question a moment's worth of thinking before shaking his head 'no'.

"Alright… Now, I need for you to explain the situation to me. Can you do that?"

The Druid bowed his head in embarrassment and fiddled with his hands in an absentminded manner. He nodded and plopped down onto the cave floor unceremoniously. Rha'zin soon followed, and, after some considering, so did I. We settled ourselves into comfortable positions beside the fire. I motioned for him to speak.

"Like I said, Caldur was captured," he puckered his lips in concentration as he recalled the events, "We had only just managed to fight our way through the Mor'shan Rampart's gate and into Northern Barrens, and, I dunno, I guess we didn't notice the riders coming up the path. Geoff held us back, saying we could probably talk our way past." The Night Elf glowered at me, as if I were the source of all of his problems.

I lifted a brow as he continued.

"You know, I was thinking, 'this is the Horde, what the hell are you doing, man?'. Of course, they attacked us as soon as they laid eyes on us. Geoff took the first hit, an arrow from a Hunter, but he had all that fancy armor on, so he was all good. Caldur and I cat-shifted and managed to take down a few of the riders on our own, but, Elune behold, I swear their skin is made of leather! They even had the nerve to wear mail, stupid bastards. My claws aren't made of steel, you know?"

I glanced over at Rha'zin, who of which had propped his chin up in his hand and was regarding the Night Elf with a strange twinkle in his eye. He found the other's tale to be humorous. In less than a heartbeat I could tell that these two were going to get along just fine. Unbeknownst to me, my muscles relaxed.

"Then Geoff comes flying by like the fool he is and takes out three of them with like two swings. Reinforcements came from who knows where after that. I guess we're just unlucky. Or maybe _I'm _just unlucky. I mean, just this morning, after we left…man, was that really only this morning? It feels like it's been _weeks._ Anyway, I slipped in this nasty, green stuff when we were out walking in Ashenvale. It was awful; smelled like the rear of Thistlebear mixed with-"

"Vendal."

"Right, so, the number of Orcs kinda piled up, and it just became too much, you know. Before Geoff or I could do anything, one of the ugly brutes got a good grip on Caldur's tail and hauled him up like a sack of rocks. I tried to get to him, Elune, I did. There were just too many, though," his eyes darkened, "Geoff snapped at me to fall back. I'd never seen him so pissed before. I thought he'd cleave my head off when I started to argue. So, we ran like bats out of Hell. The riders followed, but they couldn't take their wolves through the forest filled with Harpies. What was it called again," he caught my look and set himself back on pace, "Right, well we stopped, and then Geoff told me to go find you. You know, I really didn't want to just run off when Caldur was in trouble, but, well…you know Geoff. Anyway, I ended up working my ass off to find you, Hum-drum. I hope you appreciate my valiant efforts."

Rha'zin rocked forward onto the balls of his feet and pointed at the Night Elf.

"Ya be quite da funny one, yeah? I like dat. Ya call Elfie 'Hum-drum'. Can I call 'er dat, too?"

Vendal, startled by the odd, off-topic question, shared a quick glance with me and shrugged a shoulder.

"Why not?"

He gave a lopsided grin and lowered back onto his heels, looking immensely satisfied with himself. I gave a small laugh at his expression, and then tilted my head to offer my Druid companion another apologetic look.

"So, Geoff's out there being a stubborn idiot on his own?"

The Night Elf scoffed and waved a hand flippantly.

"I didn't dare consider the idea of becoming such a fool alongside him! That man is as pigheaded as a woman… No offense." He smirked at that last, added statement.

I stuck my tongue out at him teasingly and got a light kick in the shin in return. Rha'zin, strangely remaining silent, watched the familiar interaction with interest. I eyed him mischievously, and, after swiftly rising up to tug at Vendal's ears, I twisted around and poked the Troll in the middle of his forehead, throwing him off balance. He let out a flabbergasted squawk and toppled back onto the ground, disturbing a cloud of dirt in the process. Before I had time to even laugh at him, though, I was tackled to the ground by something large and furry. Oh, so he had shifted, huh? I looked up to stare into two glowing, slant-like eyes. A feral grin pulled back the black-lined lips of the giant cat, showing off an impressive array of deadly fangs. Two could play at that game. Slippery as a snake, I slid out from underneath heavy paws and wrapped my arms around his thick throat. A playful growl rumbled throughout his body. He attempted to buck me off. I, on the other hand, was much stronger than I looked.

"Give in, Vendal," I laughed in his ear, "I won't let go!"

That only seemed to encourage him to try harder. Yet, his attempts didn't faze me in the least. I would've won this little battle, too…if only _another _furry body hadn't collided with the both of us. Astonished, I sat up from where I had fallen beside Vendal. Then I froze. Crouching before us was a light teal-colored cat with black stripes and a familiar emerald mane. It was probably about twice the size of the present Night Elf Druid, making it seem even bigger than it most likely was. I gawked. Then I pointed.

"Rha'zin?!"

The cat flicked his tail and waggled his rump in a spirited manner. When he noticed that I wasn't going to move any time soon, though, he let out a low whine and hung his head as if ashamed. I took a hesitant step forward and then squatted before him. Autumn eyes observed me curiously. I licked my lips and tried again.

"Rha'zin? That _is _you right?"

He nodded his large head and then stretched his neck forward to briefly press his nose to the center of my forehead, nearly jabbing me with his tusks. I couldn't help but stare. He was a Druid? All this time… Sternly, I grabbed both of those tusks, forcing him to look me in the eye. He blinked.

"I thought you were a Rogue?"

He shifted his jaw.

"Been a Druid my whole life, mon." His voice was a good few degrees deeper, very beast-like.

Stunned by this revelation, I glanced over his shoulder and motioned to the long dagger that was fastened to his side by a couple of thick leather straps.

"Then why do you excel at using blades? That's not very Druid-like," I accused, feeling a little 'out-of-the-loop'.

The Troll-cat seemed to frown. He shuffled his paws nervously…or should I say _paw_. Realization dawned on me the moment before he responded.

"It be kinda odd to see a tree-legged beast, yeah? I don't much like hoppin' eider. So, a little while afta dat day ya saved me, I figured I'd learn to use a knife." He shifted back into his original form quite suddenly, eliciting a yelp from me when I noticed that his face was still being held only mere inches from my own. I hastily released his tusks. However, he didn't move.

"'Sides," he reached up to place a large hand atop my head, "'ol Rha'zin like it betta dis way."

My cheeks burned at the declaration, and I looked away embarrassedly. Unfortunately, I just so happened to catch the eye of a certain Night Elf. Vendal had, as well, returned to his normal state and was now sitting cross-legged by the fire. Something flickered deep within his cunning orbs, though, when he had gotten a good glimpse of my face. He snickered quietly. I mentally cursed him.

"Den again…" I was too flustered to look at the Troll's face at this point; so, I was more than shocked when his steady breathing had abruptly developed into a raspy purr.

A heavy weight knocked me over and essentially squashed me. Much needed air escaped my lungs in a single gasp, and I found myself clawing at the dirt beneath me in order to pull myself free. However, Elune seemed to be working against me, for a single large, fuzzy paw wrapped around my torso and rolled me sideways. I let out an unintentional yelp as my face was pressed into a patch of dense fur. Okay, _now _I couldn't breathe. Deep laughter seemed to rumble all around me as I struggled hopelessly against a mass of hair and muscle.

"Vendal!" My voice was so muffled that I myself could hardly hear it.

The Night Elf in question obviously could, nonetheless. His boisterous guffaw berated my ears, making them heat up in irritation. So, I was going to die of suffocation by fur in a cave in the middle of Horde territory with a couple of idiots making fun of me? Wonderful. Let's see, so far I've been taunted by a Goblin, flirted on by a brainless buffoon, attacked by plants, trampled on by horse people, carried by a one-armed Troll, and now…_this. _Could this day possibly get any better?

"Sheba?!"

Elune be cursed.


	9. Forever Land

**My schedule is so up and down...meaning my posting schedule will probably be the same way -.-' Really sorry guys, I'll try to be as constant with the updating as I can. **

**Again Disclaimer is the same~**

**Also again, thanks for all of the views, reviews, favs, follows, etc. (You guys are seriously my core motivation to continue writing this; usually I quit writing something when no one responds) So, I'm really happy you all enjoy this ^^**

* * *

The morning passed fast…just as fast as the day that followed it, and before we knew it, we were already settling down for camp a second time. We hadn't gotten as far as we probably could've. Though, that's probably for a multitude of reasons. One of which being that Vendal had absolutely no idea as to which way he had come from the night before.

"Cut me some slack, guys! It was raining and dark and my feet hurt! You don't even care about the horrible pain I went through, do you? All you're concerned about is 'finding the path'." He had crossed his arms and lifted his chin after grumbling out this childish accusation.

I, in turn, had let out a long sigh and shot him a meaningful look.

"The path which leads to Caldur."

That had shut him up for a good few hours afterwards.

Unandel had been mostly silent, and, strangely enough, so had Rha'zin. They both trudged with his heads lowered at the front of our little group while I hung in the back with the self-pitying Night Elf. They had seemed to be conversing about something, and I only managed to catch a few passing words muttered in hushed voices.

"Too dangerous…Orcs…border…along da path…map…"

Curious, I had quickened my pace in order to glance over Unandel's shoulder. It was only then that I realized that they had been discussing directions. Purpled hands presented a familiar, worn map for orange eyes to study. The Troll had shaken his head a few times and would trace an invisible trail every here and there to show the Hunter something. What that something was, though, I wouldn't know. I hadn't paid attention long enough to figure it out. Finding myself bored with the map and not wanting to interrupt the two, I had reluctantly fallen back to match my pace with Vendal's, who of which _still _hadn't breathed a word.

Now, back to the present, we were all sitting around a tiny, flickering fire in the middle of who knows where. All I know is that we were surrounded by grass as tall as my waist and fidgeting on a ground as flat and dry as the rough jerky that a certain, quiet Night Elf Druid had begrudgingly decided to share. In short, at least we were still in Northern Barrens. Rha'zin and Unandel had finally given the whole 'mapping routes' thing a rest and were now staring at the fire dully. Well, the atmosphere had certainly darkened. I tried to look into the flames as they did, but, soon enough, I ended up having to look away. How they could stand the brightness was beyond me; especially the Hunter, considering he's a Night Elf with sensitive vision. Speaking of said Hunter, I was more than very impressed at how coolly he had taken the whole situation. He had taken note of Vendal's sudden appearance with nothing more than a quickly lent ear and an understanding nod. What surprised me even more, though, was how, along the entire duration of the trek from the cave, he had stuck close to the Troll in order to make sure that we didn't get lost. I suppose he was somewhat reliable when he needed to be.

"What's with the smile, Hum?"

I looked up to meet curious silver eyes. Sure enough, I could feel a small smile tugging at my lips. A little abashed, I wiped it away and averted my gaze.

"It's nothing."

A deep chuckle came from Rha'zin. He shook his mane of bright, green locks and propped his chin up in his hand. Cheery eyes twinkled at me humorously from across the fire. I scowled, recognizing that mischievous look almost immediately.

"I neva seen someone grin at flames as much as ya do, Hum-drum. Be ya taken by da light?"

Unandel unexpectedly bristled at the pet name the Troll had used. Oh right, I forgot he had been asleep when we had talked about that…

"What's with that?"

Rha'zin turned his head to give the Night Elf to his left a quizzical look.

"Wit What?"

"That weird name. Vendal and Caldur are the only ones who call her that."

"Does dat mean I can't?"

"Precisely. You aren't a part of all," he motioned very generically to the air in front of him, "_this._"

The Troll's large fingers reached up to absentmindedly run along the length of one of his tusks. He offered the Hunter a look of mock-amazement.

"Oh, so ya would rada I wasn't 'ere?

"Correct."

"Ya would rada be lost out in enemy territory?"

"We already are."

"At least yer not alone, do'. 'Ol Rha'zin can tell a good story to perk up ya spirits."

"No thanks."

"C'mon, mon. What 'ave ya got to lose?"

"My sanity."

"Seems to me ya 'ad none from da start."

Unandel growled and leaned in his direction threateningly.

"Are you looking for a fight?"

"Don't ask for sometin' yer gonna lose."

"Why, you insufferable, blue bas-"

I clapped suddenly, a sharp sound that echoed all around us. The two bickering males glanced over at me incredulously before embarrassment darkened the tips of their ears and forced them back into their original positions. Amused by their dutiful response, I looked over at Vendal, who of which was pitifully lying on his side, pretending to sleep. I poked him, got no response, and then poked him harder. He stirred uncomfortably and had the nerve to glare up at me in annoyance. I cut him off with a sickly sweet smile before he could complain.

"Get up. We're going to play a game."

A minuscule gleam of excitement shot through his golden eyes. Within seconds he was sitting cross-legged beside me. I glanced over at the other two to see that they were both gazing right back at me expectantly. I guess all of us were really just looking for some sort of distraction from all of this. So, with that being noted, I decided to start. Shifting into a more comfortable position, I held up a finger purposely.

"This is a common game, not too exciting, but—well…it can be fun," I smiled warmly, "It's a word game. I'm sure it's well-known, even by the Horde. Someone starts with a word, any word, and then the next person has to say a word that begins with the same letter as the last letter in the previous person's word."

Unandel straightened at this and threw a smirk at Rha'zin. Obviously, he was familiar with this game. How he could possibly turn it into a competition with the Troll, though, was beyond me. Said Troll snorted at the Hunter and raised his hand.

"I will start den, yeah?"

I gave him a nod before remembering something.

"Oh, right. The topic is beasts." The Hunter's ego only seemed to expand further at this revelation.

Rha'zin stroked a tusk in thought.

"Hmm," something flashed in his eyes, "Dragonhawk."

Unandel lifted a brow at the other's strange expression.

"Kalimdor Eagle."

About a minute or so of silence passed. I gave Vendal a side-long look.

"It's your turn, Vendal."

His head shot up in surprise.

"Oh, right, whoops…what was it again?"

Unandel impressed me once again by remaining patient with the Druid.

"Kalimdor Eagle."

The lavender-haired Night Elf gave a swift nod and took a few seconds to ponder before tossing out a response.

"Emberspit Scorpion."

My eyebrows lifted at that. I would've never guessed that one. Astonishingly, he may be rather good at this game. Unfortunately for me, though, I had probably picked one of the worst topics for myself. Beasts were not something I was all-too familiar with. The only obvious answer for 'N', however, still managed to come to mind.

"Nether Ray."

Rha'zin grinned.

"Crocolisk."

"Karoma."

"Anthriss."

"Spider."

"Riva'bed Crocolisk."

"You already did Crocolisk."

"It's a different kind, do'"

Unandel looked to me for confirmation. I nodded. He complied ruefully.

"Fine…Kodo."

"Owl."

"Leopard."

Rha'zin smirked.

"Deviate Crocolisk."

"You've only given me 'K's so far!"

"Dere isn't a rule against it."

"Humming!"

I sighed in exasperation and shook my head.

"Alright, that's enough. We're done."

Is there anything they won't fight about? We can't even play a simple game without some form of argument taking place. I guess boys are boys anywhere, though. They're always competing with one another. I mean, I guess it's the same with girls, and it probably would be if there _was _another girl in this odd, little group. I'd more than likely try to be better than her at everything too…but, for what purpose? I suppose growing up in a secluded town with no one but overly-passive adults for company has chipped away at my rationality; however, shouldn't the desire to compete be a natural thing? Should I try and compete with the guys? One look at Rha'zin is all I need for validation. Despite missing a limb, he'd probably tear me to bits if he really wanted to. My eyes flitted over to Vendal's form, which, once again, had gone back to lying down. He and Caldur were closer than any two beings I'd ever seen. They were practically two parts of the same person. Yet, even they scuffled every now and again. Curiosity getting the better of me, I leaned over a bit to address the Druid.

"Hey, Vendal, when you and Caldur…" The stiffening of shoulders caused me to trail off.

Oh, right. His brother's just been captured by Orcs. Mentally berating myself for bringing up such a sensitive topic, I didn't notice when golden eyes blinked open to stare up at me. I moved to turn away, but was hastily stopped by the act of a strong hand gripping my wrist.

"Hum-drum…" I didn't like the sound of the foreign waver I heard in his voice.

I cowardly kept my head facing forward so I couldn't see the agony I knew lingered in those pleading eyes of his. The fingers tightened around my wrist, and I subconsciously wondered if my circulation was going to get cut off. He took a shaky breath, making me tense uncomfortably.

"He's going to be okay, right? I mean, he's never seen an Orc before. _We_'ve never seen an Orc before, much less get dragged away by them," he paused, collecting his raging thoughts, "Remember when we were sitting on the bridge in Lor'danel the month before we left, just you, Caldur, and I?"

Reluctantly I answered with a soft 'yes'. I _did _remember. We were playing hooky from training that day. Caldur had come up with the bright idea that we should jump off the bridge and into the water below for fun. I, of course, had chickened out at the last minute when I got a good glimpse of the rampant rapids below. Vendal, probably just as tentative as I had been, played it cool by saying he didn't want to get his new armor wet, especially since it was leather. So, we had settled for just sitting on the edge, letting our feet dangle over in order to still experience that partial feeling of being somewhat adventurous. We had merely talked after that. Talked about anything and everything. We practically shared our life stories right there on that bridge. We became brothers and sisters on that bridge. We talked about love, loss, and dying, and, well, Caldur had said something random. Something so random that it was exponentially impactful. I will never forget it. We had just finished a spur-of-the-moment conversation about how we would like to die valiantly, in battle or something, so that we could be reminisced about as saviors. Then, abruptly, Caldur had laughed his cheery, berry-sweet laugh and regarded us with golden eyes brimming with wonder.

"Wouldn't it be something to live a life that stretched on forever?"

Vendal and I had exchanged bewildered glances. Night Elves already lived long enough as it is, so why would we need to live forever? However, the Excitable Druid hadn't finished.

"You know that feeling when you're lost? You're scared but curious. You can't help it, though, it's natural. It's in our blood. We find ourselves lost all the time, be it physically or mentally, but we always manage to find our way back to the beginning. It's a wonderfully horrid experience, and I'd love to be lost in it forever."

At the time we had only taken his words in as a confused jumble of arbitrary thoughts. However, thinking about it now, and reflecting on what we'd been through so far, I was starting to understand a bit. The underlying meaning of his words was still unclear to me, yet I feel as if I'm one step closer to being able to indulge in the experience that Caldur spoke so fondly of. So, I mustered up my courage and turned around to face Vendal. I ignored the traitorous, salty tears that had fought their way to the corners of his eyes and threw my arms around him, holding him in a secure but gentle embrace. His arms wrapped around me in a similar manner, and he buried his face in the crook of my neck.

"Your brother is just a little lost in forever land, and it's our job to find him again."

Vendal trembled slightly, struggling to keep his emotions in check, and mumbled against my skin quietly.

"Lest we find ourselves lost along with him."

"Isn't that what he wanted?"

He pulled away, tears forgotten, and gave me a look filled with fiery determination.

"The road we pave can only stretch as far as we can walk. Caldur can't stay lost forever, and neither will we."

* * *

**Cookie: Sorry, Sheba isn't actually ****_here. _****Unandel was dreaming and kinda woke up yelling her name T~T However, I am hoping to get him some sort of pet sometime soon, be it Sheba or something else :) **


	10. Everlasting

**Thanks for all of your wonderful reviews! Sorry, I ****_still _****haven't gotten to Unandel's pet yet...it'll come up eventually, though, don't worry~ As for Caldur...well, I won't spoil it for you :3**

***Disclaimer is the same~**

* * *

What Vendal said had become a sort of mantra for me now. 'We can't stay lost forever'. I kept repeating it over and over again inside my head. It did little to calm the growing anxiety within me; however, it did provide me with a broader view of options. We _were _going to save Caldur…if not for his sake, then for his brother's. Vendal was a mess. He'd completely withdrawn into himself and refused to speak a word about anything to anyone of us. Personally, I didn't mind, but his indifferent attitude towards every decision we made sort of put me off. It just wasn't like him. Vendal's always been the kind of guy that would throw his opinion out for the world to hear, not caring who dared to reject it. He was a fool at times, sure, but he was also brave, smart, and, most of all, compassionate. He regarded his friends highly and made sure that they never felt left out. He was the kind of guy that you could run to with any problem and he'd do his best to fix it, no matter how trifling it was. Caldur was very similar. Of course, he was a little more cunning and a lot more daring than his brother, but he also had his own way of making others laugh and feel at ease. His smile was just as contagious as his pain. When Caldur was feeling down it affected all of those around him. It was a good thing, though, that he had Vendal to pick him back up and place him on his feet. It was a good thing they always had each other's backs. A good thing…and yet, now, they've been torn apart by unlikely circumstances. For both of them, it must have felt like losing a half of their being.

"Hum-drum."

I glanced up to see an eager Troll urgently waving me forward. Right, this morning we had cleared the camp area and set off as soon as the sun had peeked lazily over the horizon. Our Horde companion had claimed that we had a lot of ground to cover from wherever we currently were to the Mor'shan Ramparts that Vendal had come from. So, without any complaints, we had started walking again. Wistfully, I tossed a final, sorrowful look in the Night Elf Druid's direction before jogging up to squeeze between Unandel and Rha'zin. The Hunter made an odd face but didn't complain. The Troll, on the other hand, inclined his head to offer me a bemused expression. He slid the single dagger he owned from its place in his belt and held it up for me to see. I had to admit it was a pretty blade.

"Ya be a Rogue, yeah?"

I pursed my lips thoughtfully and nodded.

A grin stretched across his face and I watched, befuddled, as he hopped a few feet to the left so that there was about a yard or so of space between us. He pointed at my waist expectantly, and, after getting the hint, I reached up to finger the hilts of my own weapons. An excited spark shot through his eyes. Humored, I drew my daggers.

"Spar?" The look on his face was pleading.

I bit my lip and glanced over my shoulder to see a very disgruntled Unandel watching us. However, when he caught my eye, he grumbled silently to himself and averted his gaze. I kept my eyes trained on him until I saw the tips of his ears darken a shade. Eventually, he scowled and turned back to me.

"I couldn't care less about such a petty thing as practice. Still, it will be too troublesome if we have to stop and too tiring if you cross blades as we walk, don't you think?"

"Makes sense," I agreed while sheathing my daggers, earning a low whine from Rha'zin.

"I need da trainin', do'"

"Train on your own time then, Troll. We have more pressing things to do." The Hunter growled.

I threw the Troll a sympathetic look.

"Sorry, Rha'zin, but Unandel's right. Finding Caldur is more important, and I'd rather not waste another day playing around while he's out there suffering."

Rha'zin frowned and roughly shoved his blade back into his belt. For one fearful moment I actually thought that he was going to walk off, but, after about a minute or so of glaring at the ground irritably, he gradually migrated back over to my side. I cautiously observed him from the corner of my eye. He lifted his arm and passed it over his chest as if to cross it, but quickly realized that he didn't have another arm to cross it with. His hand fell back down limply, and he let out a dejected sigh. Then, abruptly, his orange orbs darted in my direction. I quickly looked away. A loud breath of air escaped him in a huff. I couldn't tell whether he was angry or embarrassed. Either way, though, it didn't matter. Within seconds we had returned to our dismal state of unbroken silence.

So, naturally, I took the time to think. My thoughts were wandering again and, as aunt Belif had always put it, I needed to find the right pair of footprints to set the nomad on a straight path. A pang went through my heart at that. I hadn't seen her in a while. Uncle as well. I wonder how they're doing. Well, I suppose it hasn't really been that long, only a few months. So, they're probably doing what they always do. At this time, let's see… I glanced up at the sun to note that it had nearly risen to the center of the sky. Aunt Belif should be at the village market now, buying more unnecessary flowers for her garden as well as food for dinner. Uncle Wyrvik's undoubtedly sleeping in his rocker. For as long as I'd known him, that's always been his favorite place to be. 'Sleeping', he had once declared with exaggerated gusto, 'is my favorite hobby'. I truly believe him to be part bear. No normal person, be it any race, should be able to sleep as much as he does.

Then there's Geoff to worry about. How's he holding up? Vendal did say that the Paladin had split off to trail behind the Orcs that had captured Caldur…but, what if he's in danger too? What if he fell into some trap or got too close and was discovered? I know Geoff's a smart guy, he really is, yet I just can't help but wonder about all of the dreadful possibilities. For all I know, the guy could've fallen prey to some rampant beast before he even got a chance to confront the Horde members. I chewed at the inside of my cheek in soundless distress. How would I even react if something _did _happen? If one of them actually died… Well, I've never had someone close to me die before. I've never mourned over a lost one or found myself drowning in tears of overwhelming grief. It sure looked painful, though. I certainly don't want to go through all of that. Even more so, I don't want Vendal to have to experience that feeling either. Acutely aware of said Druid's presence now, I found myself slowing down to match his steps. Golden eyes flickered over to scrutinize me.

"I'm fine, you know."

"I know."

He seemed to hesitate for a moment before slinking sideways to walk closer to me. I lifted a brow curiously. He smirked, and an all-too familiar gleam of forth-coming trouble sparkled in his eyes. I licked my lips nervously. His elbow nudged my arm enthusiastically as he leaned over to whisper in my ear.

"So, how come you haven't properly introduced me to your new boyfriend yet?"

My eyes widened incredulously, and I opened my mouth to question him when his eyes suddenly flickered over meaningfully to the tall back of the Troll. Heat exploded across my face. I turned my head so that he couldn't see.

"I don't know _what _you're talking about," I muttered.

He leaned even closer, teasingly blowing warm breath across the side of my neck. I shivered. He chuckled.

"How about I enlighten you then?"

Before I could protest, his hand was already trailing up the length of my arm and had come to rest upon my Stranglethorn bangle.

"Wow, Hum-drum, that's quite a nice band you've got there. Where'd you get it?" He declared just loud enough for the two in front of us to hear.

Appalled, I shied away from his hand and stuttered in an attempt to look as if he hadn't just presented an opportunity for me to be further humiliated.

"Ah, well this—you see, it's just a gift I-"

"Dat be da band I gave 'er! Pretty, yeah?"

I nearly growled at the Troll as he fell back to hang by Vendal's other side. He threw me a proud grin, which I blatantly ignored. The Night Elf Druid, on the other hand, snickered softly and turned to glance in innocent curiosity at Rha'zin.

"Pretty indeed. I'm sure she must have done something highly respectable in order to earn such a marvelous piece of jewelry, right?"

If I could crawl in a hole and die, I'd definitely do it now.

"Da Elfie saved my life." The Troll admitted earnestly while reaching over to place his hand over the stump of what was left of his other arm.

Actually surprised at this revelation, Vendal threw me a quizzical look. I scowled and shook my head. That was not a story I wanted to get into at the moment. Taking the hint, the Druid stuck his tongue out and returned his attention back to the Horde member to his left.

"I suppose that's admirable enough," he supplied with a broad grin that didn't match his honest tone.

Rha'zin, considering the other's response, frowned a tad and straightened up to roll his shoulders back in small, fluid movements. After he had stretched, the Troll returned to his original slightly-hunched position and allowed his gaze to roam over to me. Fighting back another wave of treacherous heat, I beamed at him. An odd expression overcame his face, and he grunted before averting his attention to the overly-dull scenery ahead of us. A large, blue hand lifted to fiddle with a random string of what appeared to be bones dangling from one of the straps of his loose, leather harness.

"More dan enough," he finally replied, eliciting a sharp intake of breath from both my Night Elf companion and myself.

So, Vendal, being the cruel, cunning feline that he was, patted us each on the nearest shoulder and sighed dramatically.

"Well, there's something I've been meaning to talk to 'Mr. Sour Face' about, so I'll have to leave you two for a second, alright?"

Alarmed, I reached out a hand to stop him; however, he expertly dodged the appendage and skipped up to undoubtedly poke fun at Unandel. Ah, wait just a minute. How could he say all of that, provoke me, and then prance off like nothing happened? Even worse…he left me with the last person I wanted to be left alone with right now. Painstakingly, I turned my head around to look at my unplanned companion. He gazed right back with a perplexed expression of his own.

"Somehow…I 'ave da feelin' dat I was just made a fool of."

I lifted a brow.

"You catch on quick."

"Is dat a good ting?"

"Well, it's not a bad thing."

"Den it's definitely a good ting."

"It is what it is."

"Life don't work dat way."

"It would be easier that way."

"Dats wishful tinkin'"

"It's called 'being realistic'."

"It is what it is."

I laughed at that. He certainly knew how to turn one's words around to reflect back in their face. I'd heard him do it to Unandel more than enough times, but getting to experience it myself was something completely different.

"Ya 'ave a nice laugh," Rha'zin grinned, "Reminds me o' home."

I smiled appreciatively at the compliment and crossed my arms as a sudden wind gusted by, chilling the surface of my skin.

"Home?"

"Back at Echo Isles," he fumbled with a little bag that was attached to his belt and pulled out a wrinkled cloak, "I s'ppose I miss it. Ya know, da sand, da water…da warmth." He concluded his sentence while wrapping the cloak around my shoulders.

Touched by the thoughtful action, I blushed and, once again, looked away. I really don't get this guy at all. It's almost as if he has a split personality. Sometimes he's like a child and yearns for attention while at other times he seems to be at the peak of maturity, giving off an air of being tranquil, wise, and understanding. Still, I can't really bring myself to dislike any part of him. He's endearing in his strong desire to learn about things that are strange to him, especially our customs and individual traits. Despite being a member of the opposite faction, he's extremely friendly and very likable. Vendal approved of him right away and, even though he acts as if he doesn't, I know that Unandel has at least accepted the fact that the Troll is a part of our group now. I pulled the cloak tighter around me, relaxing in its soft embrace, and inhaled deeply. It smelled distantly of salt and sun rays, but overshadowing any other scent the fabric might have encountered was that of Rha'zin's own person mixed in with the musty fragrance of age. In short, it smelled rather pleasant.

"I guess I kind of miss my home as well."

Orange eyes regarded me with interest.

"Ashenvale, yeah?"

"DuskenVale, actually," at the Troll's bewildered face I continued, "It's much smaller than Ashenvale. It's very peaceful and full of life. There weren't many others there that were my age, though, so I mainly spent my days learning various things from my aunt and uncle." The corners of my lips tugged upwards at the memories that began to resurface.

Rha'zin, however, frowned.

"Parents?"

I bit my lip.

"Dead. Well, my mother is. No one knows about my father, though."

The Troll deflated a bit. Surprised by his reaction, I waved a hand expressively.

"Ah, don't worry about it! It's been so long, I don't even remember their faces… What about your parents?"

"Dead."

That's the only explanation that he offered, and, never being one to pry, I left it at that, albeit a bit sullenly. We carried on in silence for a while afterwards, sometimes listening in on the others' conversation and other times just searching aimlessly for something that would catch our interest. Thus, it wasn't really much of a shock when our eyes met again. I couldn't help but snicker.

"It is what it is."

Rha'zin nearly fell over from howling with laughter, successfully startling the two Night Elves several meters ahead. This is one thing I know for sure… Whether it be the span of time or an inevitable fate that diverges our paths, I will never forget this one-armed Troll.


	11. Toothache (Side-Story)

**I suppose you could say this chapter is an optional read. Personally, being the writer and all, I think it contains important elements considering both past and future chapters, but, really, I don't think it would affect your overall experience of the story if you didn't read it...**

**This chap centers around Rha'zin's 'tragic' past with his brother and serves as a side-story for the original. **

**(Really, I just typed it up real quick to give you guys something to read while I plan out the series of events for the next few chaps; I do like how it follows through with what's already been provided, though) ;) **

***Disclaimer shall never change~ **

**Lol, and thanks very much to Connet (you never cease to make me laugh) and peachycupcake for the enthusiastic reviews!**

**(Wow, sorry, had to repost...I noticed that for a few parts I forgot my Troll vernacular...silly me) **

* * *

"Rha!"

I ignored the familiar voice that called me from behind, finding more solace in continuing with the rhythmic task of weaving. Generally, Trolls weren't very good weavers. Our fingers were much too large and would often get in the way of those delicate 'up and under' crossings and tie-offs. Yeah, it was difficult, but I had forced myself to enjoy it some odd years ago when my mother died. It had been a hobby of hers, so why not mine? Sure, it wasn't very manly, but I had my own masculine traits here and there. For example, I was a soldier-in-training for The Horde's ever-growing army, a Druid. It was something I had dreamed about ever since I had been a child. It was a dream-come-true. If mom and dad were seriously watching me from heaven right now, as my brother persistently put it, then I hope I'd made them proud.

I let out a low growl of frustration when my fingers slipped on one of the thin strings, causing half of it to unravel from place. Messing up was nothing new, yet it never ceased to send my blood boiling. Weaving was such a tedious task, not something fit for a broad male with little to no patience. Still, I took a deep breath and slowly tucked the string back into place, carefully pulling it through the miniscule holes.

"Found ya!"

Large hands clapped down on my shoulders, startling me to the point that I released the thread _again_. Irritated, I dropped my unfinished design and rose to my feet. The guilty hands left my skin right as I turned around to face my brother. He lowered his head shamefully and offered an apologetic smile.

"Sorry?"

"Sorry don't fix dat," I grumbled and motioned to the project now lying on the ground.

Orange eyes, very similar to my own, followed the movement. He stuck out his lower lip in a lopsided pout. My brother was missing one of his tusks. Well, technically, he had to get it cut off. When he was born, the tiny tusk had already begun to grow the wrong way. If they hadn't removed it then he would have a pretty nasty pierced chin right about now.

"But ya know what fixes dis," he asked and reached up to slip a finger inside either corner of my mouth and pulled upward.

Annoyed, I shook my head, freeing myself of his teasing touch. He laughed, a warm, gentle sound, and gazed at me expectantly. I glared right back. No matter how hard I tried, I just couldn't brush this guy off. Sighing, I begrudgingly acknowledged his question.

"What?"

He grinned and twisted sideways to open up his satchel. After fumbling around for a few seconds he pulled out a ragged-looking sheet of paper. I regarded it curiously as he smugly raised it up for me to see. My eyes widened. It was a quest order. Suddenly excited, I made a grab for the parchment. However, my brother had obviously been expecting this, for he jerked back his arm an instant before I reached out. A purple tongue slid out to taunt me.

"See? I knew you'd smile, mon!" He laughed again and finally relinquished the paper to my eager hands.

I skimmed it over urgently, my eyes drinking in every word. It's not like this is the first quest I'd ever been on. No, I'd had my fair share of running errands for unimportant people who thought much too highly of themselves. This, though, was more of what we'd both been looking for. It was a command that summoned us north to Razor Hill, a place that neither of us had stepped foot in before. Anticipation climbing further at the aspect of adventure, I glanced up at my brother in awe.

"How'd ya get dis?"

He smirked and quickly looked both ways, as if to make sure no one was listening in but me, and leaned in close, hand cupped around his mouth.

"All ya got to do is charm a few girls 'round 'ere and dey tell ya any ting ya wanna know."

Skeptical, I frowned.

"Bal, don't tell me ya-"

He waved me off.

"'Course not. I just did a little sweet-talkin' and dey gave me da paper, sayin' it was too 'ard for tender, delicate girls like demselves."

I let loose a long breath, considering his sanity for about a heartbeat before beaming at him. He chuckled and patted me on the shoulder.

"Dat's da face I wanted to see, mon! Let's go!"

* * *

The trip to Razor Hill was a breeze. Since we had already been in Sen'jin Village, all we had to do was ask a nearby Orc rider to borrow a couple of his wolves for the short trip. He had cheerfully complied and reminded us to bring his beloved mounts back at some point within the next three days. Setting his mind at ease with our whole-hearted promises, we set off north to find the road that led us to our destination. The overall journey had taken about half an hour at most. So, that brings us to where we are now, at the sturdy, wooden gates of Razor Hill, tying our wolves to a post beside one of the lazing guardsmen. The Tauren didn't even spare us a glance as we approached him. What a poor fool he'd be in a fight.

"'S'cuse us," the large, bull-like creature slowly inclined his head in our direction and flicked his ears to show that he was listening, "We came 'ere for dis quest. Do ya know where we can find da guy named Gar'Tok?"

Brown eyes swiveled sideways to scrutinize us. The Tauren snorted, causing a scowl to pull at my face. Is he mocking us or is this just how his kind act? Truthfully, this is my first time meeting a Tauren, so I wasn't so sure. After an uncomfortable minute or so of just looking between each other, the large bull lifted a hand to point at the large formation in the center of the base several yards away.

"If you mean 'Gar'_Thok_, then he's in that building over there."

Despite the fact that he was being helpful, I didn't appreciate the unnecessary correction. Fuming, I straightened my spine to look a little more intimidating and opened my mouth to retort when, suddenly, an arm slung around my shoulders and hauled me sideways against a familiar chest. I glared at my brother. He gave a small shake of his head and reached up to roughly muss my already-wild mane.

"Tanks, we'll be off den."

The Tauren yawned and merely went back to resting his eyes. Half-tempted to throw something at the guy, I reached for my satchel. Strong fingers gripped my wrist. I huffed.

"Rha, please act more yer age. People are rude. Dat's just how it is."

I turned my head to glower at him. Catching his warning look, though, I relaxed and pulled away from his hold.

"Yeah, I know."

He smiled and patted me on the shoulder, something he's been doing a lot lately, before whirling around on his heel and signaling for me to follow. As younger brother does to older brother, I did as I was told.

Gar'Thok was what one would generally expect from an Orc. He was tall, broad, and ugly…no offense. I mean, it's not like Trolls are picture-perfect beings either, but at least we make an effort. My brother is the one that addressed him, deeming me too unreliable to properly speak my mind. Dejectedly, I stood off to the side, half-listening and half-inspecting my surroundings.

"I received dis summons in Sen'jin and was told to seek out Gar'Tok of Razor Hill in order to carry out da written commands."

The Orc wrinkled his nose, in disgust or by habit was beyond me, and glimpsed over the paper my brother held out to him before giving a swift nod.

"I am Gar'Thok, the one who sent out this request. What are your names, Troll brothers?"

Bal smiled and pointed a thumb to his chest.

"I'm Bal'zin," he gestured to me with a subtle tilt of his head, "and dat's Rha'zin, my younga broda.

I nodded a greeting at the Orc. He blinked in reply and turned his attention back to my brother.

"Very well, I give you permission to proceed."

Excitement coursed through me at his approval, and I shared a giddy look with the red-haired Troll to my right. His grin broadened as he shook hands with Gar'Thok.

"Tank ya very much."

The Orc shook his large head.

"Thank _you_. It's a dangerous task, so I'm happy that someone is willing to do it."

He handed my brother another, long piece of parchment and saw us to the stairs, bidding us good luck with friendly shoves to the back. I, for one, nearly cut my journey short by almost tumbling headfirst down said stairs. Telling someone 'have a safe trip' and knocking them down a flight of steps was a little contradictory, wasn't it? Or maybe it was supposed to be a joke… Either way, I'm glad Bal'zin was there to catch me. My brother laughed at my alarmed expression and trailed behind me as I hesitantly ducked through the doorway and stepped back outside. Warm rays of light caressed my azure skin, sending a welcoming surge of pleasure rushing throughout my body. I stretched my limbs, rejoicing in the sensation.

"Says our job is to go Croc huntin'."

I glanced over my shoulder to see Bal'zin warily looking over the paper that he had received from Gar'Thok. Curious, I took a few steps back to stand beside him. My eyes fell upon neat script that proved too difficult for me to decipher. Sulking a bit, I nudged my brother lightly with my elbow.

"What else does it say?"

He sneered.

"What, are ya tellin' me ya can't read?"

I grumbled slightly, more so in embarrassment than actual annoyance.

"Just not that fancy writin'."

"S'called cursive. Most everyone should be able to read it."

"I'm not most everyone."

"Ah, dat's right, I forgot yer a special case."

"What's dat s'pposed to mean?"

He gave my shoulder yet another comforting pat.

"Oh nothin'. Just keep in mind dat no matta how messed up yer head is, ya will always be my little broda."

A scowl crossed my face, and I jerked away from him reproachfully. A chuckle rumbled in his chest, and, after a few more seconds of going over whatever the hell was written on that paper, he gave a soft grunt. I watched out of the corner of my eye as he slipped the paper into his satchel and indicated for me to follow him yet again. Still disgruntled, I hesitantly obeyed. We passed lots of people as we walked. The majority being Trolls and Tauren, which surprised me considering this was an _Orc _outpost. A stray worker, lumbering by with a heavy crate of who knows what, flashed me a quick smile and carried on. That action in itself was enough to lighten my mood a good few degrees.

We left Razor Hill from the northern-most entrance and then almost immediately veered off of the path to the east. Surprised, I questioned Bal.

"Why did we leave da road?"

He pulled out his map and showed it to me, allowing one of his fingers to trace the route we just took. He continued moving it, creating an unmarked, invisible trail that ended at a broken-up area of land that was separated by small bodies of water. Islands? No, even smaller than that. A marsh.

"Dis is da only place where dere are Crocs in Durotar."

I suppose that made sense. Satisfied with his answer, I fell silent and averted my attention to our impending environment. The rugged, warm dirt was no different than that of Sen'jin Village's. It was flecked with sand and caved softly beneath my feet like partially-dried clay. I loved the feeling. It wasn't exactly comfortable, yet it wasn't discomforting in the least. The large dunes that towered around us every here and there were of the same, reddish-brown color. They were kind of odd, though. If one wasn't familiar with this sort of terrain then they'd more than likely find themselves slamming face-first into more than one mound of wind-swept earth. Chuckling at the thought, I gradually noticed that the rougher feeling of the grains of sand had increased as well as the out-of-place tufts of long grass that tickled my legs as I brushed past. Inquisitive, I raised my head. Stretching before us was a wide expanse of fragmented land that was divided by green-hued rivulets of swampy water.

"Well, dis looks 'bout right."

I glanced at my brother and grinned. Seemingly surprised by my change of mood, he smiled right back.

"I've neva killed a Croc before."

I shrugged and crouched down, easing into the beginnings of my transformation. Fur sprouted at the same time that my arms and legs shortened and realigned themselves. My face lengthened into a muzzle that harbored deadly fangs as well as my unchanging tusks. Obsidian claws dug themselves into the soft ground below, and I stretched my curved spine until it popped satisfyingly into place.

"That neva ceases to fascinate me, ya know?"

I cocked my head to one side in order to regard him, befuddled.

"But ya do it just da same."

I watched as he underwent the familiar process of shifting into his cat form and shook his striped pelt. He threw me a Cheshire-like grin.

"I can't see myself, mon."

"Dere are dese tings called mirrors, yeah?"

"Ya watch yerself change?"

Abashed, I flipped my ears back to lay flat across the back of my head as I glanced away.

"'Course not."

A deep laugh rumbled into a spirited purr, and I barely had time to dodge the playful cuff of a paw to my head. I crouched, ready to spring at him, when, abruptly, a grating hiss broke through our meaningless, little game. Instinctively, I felt the fur along my back and haunches bristle. Looking over at Bal'zin, I could see he had taken up a similar, defensive position. His orange eyes darted in my direction for a brief moment. He nodded. I nodded back. Then he disappeared. My brother had always been good at stealthing. I, on the other hand, was a hopeless cause when it came to being subtle. Though, I sucked at healing even more. I couldn't heal even the smallest cut or bruise. Generally, I just let my natural Troll blood do all of the work for me; however, I also had Bal. He was a phenomenal healer. I'd seen him save the lives of people time and time again after injured fighters had come back to Sen'jin from battles. He was a hero in his own way, and I respected him highly for that.

Another loud hiss caught my attention, and I flicked my ears out to try and locate the direction it was coming from. Left? No, right. Definitely right. Swift as a bird, I practically glided across the sandy earth, my large paws leaving behind thin prints as I moved. I hunched slightly, my shoulders tensing as the strong scent of dead, rotting fish hit the back of my throat. I wrinkled my nose, whiskers twitching in distaste, and crept over to a tall clump of what looked to be cattails. Then I paused.

This was a common sort of plan my brother and I carried out whenever we went on expeditions like this. If it involved some sort of combat then I was generally the distraction. I had always been heavier on the actual fighting than Bal'zin was, so it was only natural that I allowed myself to take more damage. So, theoretically speaking, the other Troll was crouched somewhere nearby, blending in with the shadows expertly as he waited for me to make the first move. From where I was currently positioned, I could see it clearly. The Croc was a massive, six-legged lizard with a maw filled with razor-like incisors. Its scaly flesh glistened with the murky water that dripped from its body as it dragged itself up onto the gritty bank. My claws impulsively scored the earth below as I flattened even further so as not to be seen. My heart was pounding in my chest, pumping adrenaline through my veins in an effort to coil every muscle in my body in preparation for the upcoming fight. My tail swished from side to side as I judged the distance between myself and the beast. I could probably land squarely on its back in a single leap if I used more strength in my hind legs than my forelegs. All necessary scheming complete, I waggled my haunches, about to jump.

That's when everything went awry. The Croc suddenly jerked its head to one side and uttered a low, discordant snarl. Horrified, I watched as it slid back into the water and swam quickly to the opposite shore. A fear-filled yowl sounded, and, before my mind could even comprehend what was going on, I was moving. Fur on end and eyes wide, I forced my legs to carry me as fast as they could around the bend of the water and over to where the Croc had pinned down its unsuspecting prey. Rage, barely overshadowed by panic, supplied strength to my limbs as I took a flying leap and dug my claws into a thick, scaly hide. The body below wriggled furiously as I roared and leaned down to snap my jaws at its exposed throat. Scarlet copper burst across my tongue. Another snarl loosed itself from the creature as it desperately lumbered backwards towards the water. I tried to end it quickly, I really did, but I was too late. Right as I dealt a final slash to the beast's throat with my claws, two other Crocs swam over in uncontrolled fury. Apparently, they had heard the final, pain-filled cries of their injured kin.

"Rha'zin!"

My head snapped back in alarm at my brother's call. However, before I could even blink, something crashed into me, sending me tumbling to the ground harshly. Quick to recover, though, I clambered to my feet and shook the non-existing stars from my field of vision. Another cry, this time one of agony, arose from Bal, gripping my heart in an icy hold. Terrified, I scrambled towards the sound, only to be cut off by a raging Croc. We shared mutual growls of hatred before clashing in a rampant storm of tooth and claw. Within minutes I had claimed my victory, void of any sort of celebration, and hurried to my brother's aid. What I saw nearly stopped me in my tracks. Bal, no longer in his cat form, was being dragged down into the murky depths of the swamp water by the last beast. What faltered me the most, however, was the trail of crimson that painted the sand behind him. Absentmindedly hoping that it wasn't his blood, I rushed after him. Water sprayed against my face and tugged at my fur uncomfortably as I splashed past the limp form of the other Troll and buried my claws into the Croc's eyes. A soundless bellow caused the iron-like jaws to open, and I took the opportunity to grab one of the straps on Bal's leather harness with my teeth and drag him back to safety. Once he was far enough out of reach, I instantly shot back into the water to take down the blind creature. It took longer than it probably should have.

"Bal'zin!"

I was at his side the moment I was certain that there was no other presence of imminent danger. I shifted back to my original form and kneeled by his side. He looked bad. I mean, _really _bad. Like I said, I had seen the soldiers that they hauled back from various battlefields. They were nothing compared to this. Deep gouges that were unmistakably caused by those snapping jaws filled with sharpened fangs lacerated his body. And the blood…wow, the blood. It was everywhere. Panicked, I splayed my hands across his chest and just about fainted from the relief that crashed down on me from feeling it move.

"Rha…"

Shocked that he was still conscious, I leant down to see that his eyes were slightly open, staring up at me. The bright, cheery orange that I was so used to was now glazed over in a cloudy haze. Nervous, I swallowed down the lump of dread that had begun to form and used my left hand to prop his head up in a more convenient position.

"Hey, hey, mon. Yer gonna be just find, yeah?"

Bal attempted a laugh, but only a thick clot of blood managed to find its way between his pale lips. Despite, all of this, the pain, the failed attempt at humoring me, he still beamed, albeit weakly. Something burned behind my eyes, something I'd never cared to acknowledge for _years_. Meekly, I wiped the liquid, which corresponded gruesomely with his fiery locks, from his face.

"It's perfect…"

I gazed down at him in horrified confusion. In explanation, he unfurled his fingers, which had previously been curled in a tight fist around something. In the center of his palm sat a single, smooth Crocolisk tooth. The misapprehension didn't leave my face. Slowly, ever so slowly, he lifted his other hand to point at his mouth.

"Per…perfect fit for a—for a tusk, yeah?"

Whatever walls I had built up since the day of our parents' death came crumbling down at that. Treacherous tears welled in my eyes and slipped over to trace shimmering trails along the length of my cheeks. My lower lip trembled pitifully, quivering my own tusks as I reached over to grab the tooth in his unmoving hand. Without a word, I gingerly placed the tooth alongside his left tusk. He struggled for another smile and failed.

"I be picture…perfect. Make mom…and dad proud…"

"Ya fool. Dey were proud of ya from da day ya were born."

"And you…Rha?"

A choked sob racked my body. Shamefully, I doubled-over and pressed my hands more firmly onto his chest. I might not be a great healer, but… Stubbornly, I called upon what little traces of natural magic lingered within my being and guided them into my fingertips. Energy gathered together in a green, glowing light but soon flickered out like a sputtering light bulb. Frantically, I tried again. It failed. At some point I felt a hand pat my shoulder, as if wanting to get my attention. I, unfortunately, was too captivated by the task at hand. I tried again and again, my body, however, just couldn't handle it. My arms, trembling, rose for the umpteenth time to try another time anyway.

Nothing.

Finally, I glanced down at Bal's face and froze. His eyes were no longer open. His chest was no longer moving. No, no, no, no, no… I tapped his cheek. He didn't stir.

"Bal'zin," my voice was shakier than I would have liked it to be.

"Hey, quit messin' wit me, mon. It isn't funny anymore."

I knew better, though. Bal would never play a joke to the point of making me cry like this. Even when he was mad at me he had always considered my feelings. Giving my mind time to catch up with this self-revelation, I felt my heart shatter into a thousand pieces. I lowered my head until it rested against his chest and crossed my arms to hold myself, as if, somehow, I could keep the world from falling apart that way. Life wasn't a game. This is reality. People live and then they die. I should know that better than anyone else. So, why did it have to hurt this bad? My hand unexpectedly knocked against something smooth, and, unconsciously, I wrapped my fingers around it, half-heartedly recognizing the shape of the Crocolisk tooth. I gripped it tight.

"Ya were da only one I 'ad left to look up to. 'Course I was proud."


	12. Tangled Manes

**Wow, so very sorry for the wait. My dad miraculously convinced me to watch The Ring for the first time in my life yesterday with him and, well...let's just say I couldn't concentrate (let alone sleep) for the next several hours. (I'm a scaredy-cat when it comes to things like that, and, between you and me, I seriously have Phasmophobia; every little sound is a whisper of my name when I'm all alone in a dark room) -.-'**

***Disclaimer is same**

**Anywho, this is the chap that ****_some _****of you have been looking forward to (lol). Unandel's happy anyway~ **

**Thanks for the reviews! You guys make my day everyday ^^**

**(I hate typos...sorry, had to edit real quick) **

* * *

So, if I was keeping track correctly, then that would mean that this is now our fourth day in Horde territory, and, honestly, I had nearly forgotten that we were actually supposed to be on a 'mission'. I don't think Unandel or Vendal cared much to remember either. I mean, come on, we're traveling with a Troll now. If we had stuck to our orders then we probably would've interrogated the guy and slit his throat at this point. However, strangely enough, I believe that the other two have warmed up to Rha'zin just as much as I had. The Hunter, of course, would never admit to such, but Vendal had made it pretty clear that he had become attached in some manner or another. Even now, as I plopped down onto the hard ground to rest, I caught a glimpse of the Night Elf Druid slinking over to seat himself on the Troll's left side. I was seated at his right.

"Well, that was a much needed break," Unandel breathed as he slowly lowered himself down next to me.

Sweat dripped from his brow in tiny drops that left glistening trails across his purple skin. His luminescent, blue locks had become somewhat matted near the ends, giving him the appearance of an unkempt savage. That final quirk of his mouth as he scowled and wiped salty liquid from his eyes added to the overall image. Without meaning to, I laughed. Silver eyes flickered up to regard me perplexedly.

"What is it?"

An image of uncle, for some reason that was unbeknownst to me, flashed through my head. Pursing my lips thoughtfully, I made that familiar twirling motion that he always used to make when he wanted access to my usually-messy hair. Unandel, somewhat startled, dutifully complied. I settled myself into a more comfortable position behind him and reached up to run delicate fingers through a curtain of soft sea-foam green. Well, I'd say it's more of a blue-green, because sometimes, depending on the lighting, his locks may also shine a stunning emerald. I grimaced a bit when one of my fingers was halted by a particularly tight knot. The Hunter winced.

"Sorry…this would be easier if your hair was shorter, though."

I gingerly managed to comb through the knot and moved on to part the smaller, less painful ones. Unandel shrugged a shoulder.

"I like it long."

I smiled, amused by his humble response. Hadn't I said something similar to uncle, though? I wouldn't doubt it. I was a stubborn child, and having long hair had always made me more likable. More people told me it was pretty. More people wanted to play with it or decorate it. So, as one can imagine, when aunt Belif told me that uncle was going to cut my hair, well… Let's just say I threw a bit of a fit.

"Me too."

Unandel fidgeted at my answer; however, a quick pinch to the tip of his right ear stilled him.

"You're not allowed to move until I'm finished."

He bowed his head somewhat, relinquishing to my swiftly interlacing fingers.

"What are you doing?"

I jerked at one of the strands in my left hand. He yelped.

"Hey! Ow—wait a second! You didn't say I couldn't talk!"

I laughed. He shut his mouth anyway. So, without another word, I continued. Uncle had taught me the basics of braiding, and I had kind of built on to that with my own collection of self-created weavings. It had become a sort of knack, per say. A group of the girls back at Lor'danel, who I would've liked to have called my friends but never did, used to _beg _me to style their hair for them before they left for tasks or went to meet up with friends. Me, being the timid, naïve beginner that I was, had always conformed to their wishes. At the time it had made me happy just to make others happy. Although, I suppose today it's not much different. I'd still be willing to help out if it meant making someone feel better. Unconsciously allowing a cheerful beam to cross my face, I reached into my satchel for one of my hair bands and tied off the end of the male Night Elf's new braid. My hands lowered so that I could scrutinize my work.

"Dat's pretty good, mon."

I jumped as a sharp, curved tusk appeared out of the corner of my right eye. Rha'zin grinned and pointed at Unandel's hair.

"Ya been doin' dis kinda stuff for a while, yeah?"

I shrugged, allowing myself to relax.

"I guess. I mean, my uncle taught me how to do it when I was little."

The Troll crouched next to me and propped his chin up in his hand. Vendal crept around to my other side and mirrored the Horde member's pose. Really? Now, he was copying Rha'zin? Caldur definitely had something to look forward to when he reunited with his twin brother again. The Hunter twisted around abruptly and started when he caught sight of his audience.

"What? What did you do, Hum? I swear if you made-"

"Calm down, Del, I just braided it."

His eyebrows shot up at the same time that I realized what I had just called him. It was an accident, a 'slip of the tongue', yet Unandel had taken it as something more.

"Del," he asked, a smirk beginning to curve at his lips.

I shook my head and waved a hand dismissively.

"That's not—I didn't mean to call you that. It's just a bad habit, you know? People shorten names when they're annoyed at the one they're calling to."

The Night Elf leaned forward, the smirk a full-on sneer now. He lowered one brow but kept the other raised to portray a look of humorous bemusement.

"Really? I had always been under the impression that it was the other way around."

I nearly bit my tongue in the hasty process of trying to form coherent words to reply with. I blushed a little when the two other males on either side of me chuckled at my discomfiture.

"Well, I mean, it's easier to say when you put it that way and-"

"Didn't I say that only my friends can call me 'Del'?"

"That's-"

"You've never once told me such. Are we friends, Hum?"

"If I recall correctly, then that would mean that you shouldn't be calling me 'Hum'." It was a poor comeback, I know, but it was all I could think of.

"But I _am_ your friend. Also, you just called me Del, so doesn't that make you mine?"

Well, that was unexpected. To be a part of a one-sided friendship wasn't even possible, was it? Yet, here he is claiming that he's my friend but I'm not his. In order for me to call him by his name then I must consider him my friend, and vise-versa in his case. Confused and just a tad frustrated, I dropped my head into my hands and massaged my temples. How did we even get to this topic again?

"Does it really matter that much," I eventually muttered.

Silence fell upon us like a heavy curtain dropping down on a barren stage. My shoulders stiffened as the thought that maybe I had done something wrong flitted through my head. Did I say something wrong? It doesn't matter, right? I couldn't care less what people called me…as long as it wasn't my full name. People only called my full name when I was in trouble…meaning Unandel's argument was correct. Annoyed with my internal indecisiveness, I began to yank at my hair, eliciting a pang that ran along the core of my spine. That's when something shifted behind me and a large hand encircled my right wrist. Startled, I loosened my grip and glanced over my shoulder. Orange eyes gazed back at me solemnly, making me lower arms.

"Ya took such good care o' da Elfie's hair, so ya should take care o' yers just da same." He chastised in a low but not really angry voice.

Slightly ashamed by my own actions, I nodded. He released my hand and moved his own to pick at my pale locks purposefully. My brow furrowed in confusion. He caught the look and grinned.

"Let 'ol Rha'zin weave ya 'air into sometin nice, yeah?"

That only bewildered me further.

"Aren't… Never mind." I thought better of the question I was going to ask and stopped myself, not wanting to offend him.

The Troll was much smarter than he let on.

"My fingas aren't too big, mon. I been weavin' since I was a little ting too."

Not bold enough to pry and too curious to stop him, I merely quirked a small smile. He perked up at my change of expression and proceeded to run his hand through my hair. What I had really wanted to ask him was how he was going to style it with only one arm. However, I didn't want to bring him down. Like the Druid brothers, his mood was very contagious. So, I get the feeling that if he were to become disheartened about something then I'd find myself being just gloomy for the rest of the day. I glanced up, meaning to allow my attention to drift across the surrounding scenery, however, Unandel just so happened to be the first thing in my line of vision. The guy didn't look happy in the least. I lifted a brow at him in a silent question. He scowled in response. Then he slowly rose to his feet. I followed the movement with my eyes, uncertain of the cause of his displeasure.

"We're low on food. I'll go hunt." His voice seemed almost mechanical.

I frowned.

"Unandel…" He tensed as I trailed off, not knowing what to say.

After a few seconds he sighed and trudged off, bow gripped tightly in his right hand. I bit my lip, wondering what I had said wrong this time. Vendal crept over to take the Hunter's previous spot. He beamed at me warmly, instantly dissipating the heavy, dark clouds that had begun to loom inside my head. I couldn't help but grin back in response. The Druid flopped back so that his shoulders were pressed against the rough bark of a nearby tree. He let out a long exhale, blowing away the long strands of hair that fallen across his face in the process. Then he tilted his head to consider me.

"He's just feeling a grumpy because you got his hopes up for a bit there."

I fidgeted uncomfortably, earning a rebuking poke in the head by one of Rha'zin's tusk. I stilled.

"What do you mean?"

Golden eyes widened in disbelief.

"You mean you haven't noticed?"

"Noticed what?"

He lifted a hand and ran it down his face in what looked to be an exasperated gesture. A bit irked and somewhat suspicious, I growled at him.

"What did I do?"

He eyed me skeptically before crossing his arms over his chest and settling back more comfortably against the tree.

"Like I said, you got his hopes up."

I glowered.

"That I understand. What I don't get, though, is how and why."

He smirked.

"_That _seems to be a personal problem. Sorry, Hum-drum, I can't help you there."

"But I don't-"

"Dere, I be finished," Rha'zin interrupted proudly.

Suddenly curious, I twisted around in an attempt to get a glimpse of what the Troll had done. However, I couldn't see it. Eager to know, I turned my eyes to the Horde member. He faltered a bit at my pleading look.

"How does it look? Is it alright? I mean, I don't doubt your work, I'm just very self-conscious of what-"

"Beautiful."

"Huh…?" I wanted to make sure that I had heard him right.

The Troll's orange orbs were sparkling gems as he leaned forward to brush a wandering thread of silver behind a long, pointed ear. Heat pulsed beneath my skin as I averted my gaze. He, however, wasn't going to stand for that. His large fingers gently grasped my chin, and he tilted my head back to face him. I held my breath. He leaned even closer, his tusks nearly locking my head in place on either side. The cool bones slid across my cheeks as his nose came to a halt only centimeters before mine. At this point I was absolutely frozen. A soft laugh sent a wave of warm breath washing across my skin, causing me to involuntarily quiver.

"Ya 'ave da prettiest eyes I eva did see, Elfie. Prettier dan da moon ya be named afta."

If I wasn't blushing before then I certainly was now. I could hardly look him in the eye. Dumbstruck by his nearness and by the fact that I was clueless on how to react, I stuttered like the fool I was.

"Ah, well—that's just… All Night Elves are-"

Be it fortunate or unfortunate, at that precise moment, a fear-filled cry echoed in the distance. I jumped in alarm, accidentally knocking into one of Rha'zin's tusks. The Troll let out a startled yelp as his head was unceremoniously jerked sideways. Abashed, I was about to apologize when, suddenly, the cry came again. I shared a quick glance with the Troll and awkwardly turned to face Vendal, who of which had been looking away with an impassive expression plastered to his ever-cheerful face. When he saw me staring, though, he snickered and swiftly rocked forward onto the balls of his feet before rising to his full height. Then we were running. That panicky shout of terror was unmistakable.

When we found him he was lying on the ground, squirming beneath the snowy paws of a large, furry beast. At first we had been horrified, thinking our comrade was being mauled to death; but now, well…

"Wait, stop—no! Help! Get it off me, you guys! Can't you see it's getting a taste for my flesh?!"

I simply stared, awe-struck by the absurdity of the situation. Getting a taste for his flesh? The creature was without a doubt licking him, but I wouldn't exactly say tasting. More like, it was overjoyed by his presence. Somehow, the scene distantly reminded me of the little Night Elf boy that used to play with his Mastiff in the small field beside our cottage back in DuskenVale. Except, the child was obviously more pleased by the animal's slobbery tongue than the Hunter before me currently was. After a few moments of trying to wrap my head around the situation, I squatted down next to Unandel, earning a curious look from the white lion on top of him.

"Del." He stopped wriggling at that and gazed up at me, past the shaggy mane of silver that brushed against his face.

"It's not trying to eat you."

Astonished, the Night Elf turned his head to ogle at the oversized cat. A pleased purr rumbled in its throat at the attention, and it leaned forward to brush its muzzled across the Hunter's cheek. Unandel's eyes widened.

"It…likes me?"

I smiled, amused.

"So it would seem."

Amazed, Unandel pushed himself up into a seating position, forcing the lion to slide back and sit on the ground in front of him. He pointed at the beast experimentally. It swiped out a pink tongue to lap at its nose. Then it crouched down and lifted a paw to bat at the Night Elf's hand. Humored by the playful reaction, Unandel reached down and patted its head. The purring intensified, and so did my grin.

"It would appear ya found ya pet?"

Rha'zin stood behind me, giving the Hunter and the cat befuddled looks.

"Ah, well, it's not really mine…" The Night Elf confessed.

"It could be, though," I supplied.

He blinked at me, surprised. Then excitement glinted in his eyes, and, once again, he ran his fingers through a ruffled mane, earning another lick from the docile lion. Rha'zin cautiously crouched down next to me, keeping his steady gaze trained on the creature.

"Dat be quite a pet den. Echeyakee be notorious 'round 'ere."

Unandel paused in his stroking of the beast's head and lifted a brow.

"Echeyakee?"

"Dat be da name it was given long ago."

"So…you're telling me this cat's an ancient enemy of the Horde?"

"Not just da Horde, but, yeah, more or less."

"Wonderful. I think we'll get along just swimmingly," the Night Elf claimed while tickling Echeyakee beneath the chin.

The resounding purr that followed was one that we'd have to learn to get used to in time to come, for, the Hunter took quite a liking to his new pet. That is until he remembered something crucial and sprung to his feet in distress, successfully putting all of us on guard.

"Wait a second! This horrid animal scared off our jerky!"

Suddenly fuming, the Night Elf whirled around on his heel and stormed off. We did nothing but watch dumbly as the giddy lion, clueless to the situation, merrily trotted after its new source of amusement. I slowly inclined my head to give Rha'zin a quizzical look.

"Notorious you said?"

He fingered one of his tusks thoughtfully.

"Yeah...in more ways dan one."

We simply left it at that and proceeded to follow after the likely but unlikely pair of a Hunter and his beast, allowing our feet to carry us on towards our next unsuspecting path of adventure.


	13. Finding Solace

**Okay, there's a lot going on in this chap, so sorry if it's a tad confusing. The goal was to make a clean and clear turning point, but if it's lost on some of you then I clearly didn't succeed. -_-'**

**Anywho, again, thanks for your reviews and support! I'm really enjoying writing this and it makes it even better to know that other people enjoy it as well :3**

***Disclaimer is the same**

* * *

I couldn't breathe. The air around me was thickening, growing blacker by the second. It swirled about me like charged storm clouds, crackling with energy. It was overpowering, overwhelming, and I was drowning in it. No matter how hard I tried to move my arms and legs they wouldn't so much as twitch. I was completely frozen, helpless to death's icy embrace. What was happening? All I had done was shut my eyes. Hadn't I just been setting up camp with Unandel, Vendal, and Rha'zin? Weren't we just talking? I remember Vendal had told me to get some rest, but why did this happen? Am I dreaming? Am I dead? Darkness filled my lungs with each strained breath I took, burning me from the inside out. I couldn't see anymore, not even my own body. Yet, I could still sense the swift movement of something hovering above me. I shied away internally, for my nerves were no longer properly responding.

_Where am I? _

Something grabbed my hand. I attempted to shriek, but my voice was no longer functioning. I felt myself being pulled up slowly, dragging me up from the black water that had attempted to claim my very soul; and _water_ it was. The sound of a loud splash brought the world to life at the same time a gleeful laugh welcomed my ears. I gasped for breath and looked up. The world around me burst into color, and I found myself frozen yet again by the splendor of it all. The grass was greener than I'd ever seen grass be, each individual blade glowing like fireflies beneath a moonlit sky. Trees stood tall, towering around me with pride that showed in the luminous, emerald leaves each branch waved about, almost flauntingly. My eyes widened as I raised my head further. The night sky was captivating. Stars were sprinkled across an endless expanse of a black even deeper than the liquid I had choked on just moments before, creating intricate constellations that I hadn't even known existed but could still easily recognize.

"Forever Land," a voiced breathed, painfully familiar yet absolutely foreign at the same time.

Finally, I found myself gazing into the sung-gold eyes of my savior, reveling in the warmth that his very presence shrouded me in. His skin, like mine, was a pale purple, just a hue short of a lilac petal and was decorated in darker, beautifully-designed tribal tattoos that portrayed an untold story on the surface of his body. His locks, seeming silver in the light of the moon, mirrored my own. He even reached up to brush aside straggling hairs in a manner that I had long-considered to be a tedious habit. His smile is what got me, though. It was wonderful. I instinctively felt myself compelled to smile back without really knowing why. Yet, something about it, the shape or the glistening canines that he exposed, looked all too familiar. My fingers tightened around his hand.

"You are…?"

His smile waned a bit at my implied question. However, he brushed whatever thought he had been mulling over aside and released my hand to ruffle my hair fondly.

"What a foolish thing to ask."

My brow furrowed in confusion. Was it? I suddenly close my eyes in one place, only to open them in a suffocating world of darkness, and then I'm rescued by a stranger who doesn't feel so much like a stranger and claims that I'm in Forever Land. I think that was a very reasonable thing to ask. Feeling a bit bolder, I narrowed my eyes at him suspiciously.

"In what way is it foolish?"

He regarded me in an odd sort of way, as if not quite seeing me clearly, and then lowered his hand from my crown to rest against my forehead. A frown tugged at his lips, and I found myself marveling at the movement. It all felt so strangely familiar…

"Have you suffered from amnesia? Or are you playing tricks on me again?"

I lifted a brow, bewildered, and reached up to remove his hand. He blinked.

"My name is Hummingmoon Dawnweaver. I'm not sure who you think I am, but-"

"Dawnweaver you say?" He was gazing at me intently now.

Surprised that it was my last name he addressed rather than my first, I nodded. His expression transpired into one of disbelief.

"That is the title I don as well, and I'm the only one at that. No other Night Elf has the name Dawnweaver."

I stared at him incredulously.

"That_ is_ my name! I wouldn't lie about that. Both of my parents shared it too."

His eyes searched mine, probably trying to find some sort of mischievous glint that would prove that I was just messing with him. Happening upon none, he gave me a serious look.

"What were they called?"

"My mother's name was Felrynn, and…" I trailed off at the astonished expression he now wore.

Suddenly, his hands fell upon my shoulders and he locked gazes with me. Startled by his urgency, I swallowed and attempted to take a step back. However, he held me firmly in place.

"Felrynn? Is she a Hunter," he paused briefly, "Ah, does she have white hair? It's kind of like yours. Also does she have pretty, silver eyes…kind of like yours…" His eyes widened a fraction, and he studied me as if really seeing me for the first time since he pulled me out of the water.

I bit my lip and nodded. This was getting weird.

"Did you know my mother?"

Suddenly, he was crouching down. I watched, somewhat alarmed, as he placed a hand over his heart and dropped his eyes to stare at the ground. Uncertain, I hesitantly lowered myself down beside him. His eyes momentarily flickered up to my face before returning to their previous target. His tongue darted out quickly to wet drying lips.

"Your mother…I suppose she did say something about naming a girl Hummingmoon, didn't she…"

I observed him dubiously, albeit a bit worriedly, as he mumbled to himself. I had just met the guy and was already wondering about his sanity. Speaking of which, who _was _he? Before I could voice the question, though, his head jerked up to gawk at me in utter disbelief. I started in surprise.

"Hummingmoon Dawnweaver."

Realizing he wasn't going to say anything else until I confirmed it, I gave a quick dip of my head.

"Your mother's name is Felrynn… Then what of your father?"

I lowered my head a bit and interlaced my fingers as I tried to recall what uncle had told me about him before I left. I pursed my lips as I thought.

"I never met him. My uncle told me a bit about him, though. He said my father's name was Ceradus-"

Before I could even comprehend what was happening, arms were thrown around me. I let out a small yelp of surprise as I was pulled against a strong chest. Heat swept over me when a face buried itself into my hair. Alright, I'm definitely out of my comfort zone now. Dumbstruck by the affectionate action, I was about to struggle from his hold when, abruptly, the guy began to shake. I stilled, my fingers curled around the soft fabric of his crinkled, linen shirt. His arms only tightened.

"What a bad father I've been."

My mind went numb at that point. Ah, so it was like that. My hands moved shakily to reach around him and embrace him back. This had to be a dream right? This should be impossible. No, it is impossible. Yet, it was all so real. The comfort of his warmth. The love and regret swirling in his tear-stained eyes. The feel of his skin against mine and the cloth gripped tightly within my desperate hands. This isn't a dream. It _can't _be. So…what is it then?

_"Wouldn't it be something to live a life that stretched on forever?" _Caldur's cheerful voice echoed inside my head.

The tears broke through. I couldn't hold them back. So, I buried my face against the other Elf's chest, like a troubled child would to a parent, and trembled right along with him.

"It's a wonderfully horrid experience, and I'd love to be lost in it forever," I whispered.

That's when I closed my eyes, and the world succumbed to darkness once more.

* * *

Something jolted my shoulder, and my eyes snapped open as I let out a startled gasp. However, a large hand clamped itself across my mouth quickly. At first, I was terrified, wondering where I was and what was going on, but then I looked up and caught a glimpse of familiar, curved tusks. Oh, so I was back? Disappointment and sorrow took hold of my heart and squeezed it for no more than a couple of seconds before I managed to gather my bearings and narrow my eyes.

"Rha'zin," I mumbled softly against the palm of his hand.

He glanced down to give me an urgent look and shook his head. Surprised, I allowed my eyes to dart around. It was still night, that much I could tell, so I couldn't really see much in the sudden darkness. Nonetheless, after some time passed, I was able to make out the distinct silhouettes of a crouching Hunter sided on both his left and right by two large cats. What's going on? I wanted to ask but was too afraid to break the apparently necessary silence. That's when I heard it, the faraway snapping and crunching of something making its way through thick debris in the distance. I stiffened. Was it a beast? Or were we being surrounded by Horde soldiers? The Troll slid his fingers from my lips and carefully helped me into a crouching position beside him. I tried to toss him a questioning look, but it was too dark for him to see. That's when we heard the voices.

"Lok-Narash, Lok-Regar." A few _'zug-zug's _of confirmation soon followed, making both Rha'zin and I tense.

Whoever was approaching was speaking in Orcish. That wasn't a good sign in the least. I caught a glimpse of Unandel reaching over his shoulder to grab at one of the arrows in his quiver. In turn, I drew my daggers and situated myself into a more defensive position. The Troll shifted a bit closer to me and seemed as if he was going to say something, yet something cut him off.

"Ragath'a!" I wasn't sure whether it was a battle cry or just some kind of blatant declaration, but, whatever it was, it triggered a strong reaction from the large group of Orcs that stormed out of the tree lining about a hundred or so yards away.

I leapt to my feet right as a nasty-looking brute crashed past Rha'zin and swung a deadly hammer in my direction. Adrenaline pumping, I rolled out of the way and sprang forward, just barely managing to avoid a second attempt at crushing every single bone in my body. My Troll companion shouted something over the cries and roars of the raging fight around us; however I couldn't make out what he had said. The huge Orc glared down at me and then pointed with a dirty finger at my face.

"I uruk ogg, gesh'zugas?"

I blanched and took a step back, not understanding a word of what he said. The creature found my confusion humorous and gave an ugly smirk as it lifted its hammer a third time.

"Zil'nok, nakazz-" The Orc ended whatever it was saying in a splutter of spurting blood as a blade suddenly pierced its throat.

I scrambled back in alarm as the Horde Warrior's knees buckled beneath it, and the creature came crashing to the ground. Rha'zin stood behind it, dagger glistening with crimson liquid. He killed it? Weren't they…on the same side? The Troll took in my appearance quickly, most likely checking for injuries, and then offered a quick nod before sauntering off to help one of the others. I stared after him perplexedly, though my wonder was short-lived as another large weapon of some sort flew through the air. Again, I ducked to the side and rolled over, this time stopping just beside the Orc's left leg. Quick as a snake, I struck the sensitive area behind his knee and darted to his other side as the Warrior bellowed in pain. It let out a long string of what I figured were curses in Orcish as I rendered his other leg useless and rose to slit his throat. It was my first time actually ending someone's life. Still, in the heat of battle, it felt like nothing more than swatting aside an annoying fly.

"Hummingmoon!"

I turned around to see Unandel notching an arrow at me. Shocked, I stood stock-still. Elune, what was he-

"Duck!"

I did as I was told and jumped at the agonized howl that tore through the air behind me. Heavy paws thudded past me, and I just barely had time to catch sight of Echeyakee lunging at the fallen Orc. Claws and teeth tore through the creature's skin like a nail would to a loose article of clothing, snagging and tearing at the leather-hard flesh. It certainly was a sight to behold. The mighty, white lion let out a roar, voicing its victory as it finally managed to slice its way through a particularly difficult piece of armor, leaving the area of the Orc's chest unprotected. The Night Elf Hunter took that as his opportunity and let fly another arrow, expertly hitting the bare target. Blood spattered the flattened grass below as gravity took affect and pulled the creature down to the unforgiving earth. I gazed at my companion in something akin to awe as Echeyakee, elated from the short battle, scampered back over to its master and rubbed a muzzle fondly against his leg. His silver eyes met mine. He nodded grimly. I returned the gesture. This was a real fight, not some showy play. If I didn't get my act together then it was more than likely that I'd be killed. So, mustering up the courage, I whirled around on my heel and threw myself back into the clash.

It didn't take long for us to realize that we were greatly outnumbered. The fight was becoming obviously one-sided as the Horde members pushed us back towards the tree line where they had first entered from. I was gradually beginning to lose hope. That is, until a familiar shoulder brushed against my own. I glanced sideways to see Rha'zin, looking weary despite the gleaming light of energy still lingering in his orange eyes. The war paint on his face had flaked a bit in places and was smeared with scarlet in others, as were various other places on his body. Silently, I hoped that the blood was not his own. The Troll leaned over, hot breath bathing the inside of my ear as he whispered.

"Ya Hunta friend said to fall back."

I bit my lip in consideration. Of course, at this point, it would be wise to do so. The question was how were we going to outrun them. My internal query was answered when Rha'zin patted me on the shoulder and crouched down, beginning to shift. I watched, breathless as his body altered and lengthened in ways that shouldn't have been naturally possible. Yet, this was nature at its finest. Within seconds, a handsome elk of some sort was fidgeting beside me, getting accustomed to his newly taken form. He shook his head, familiarizing himself with his large antlers and then reached over to nudge my arm with his snout.

"Climb on, mon." His voice sounded exactly like it did when he was in his cat form.

I gawked at him stupidly. So, _this _is how he plans on falling back? I'm supposed to ride a three-legged Troll Druid out across the Barrens with an army of Orcs stampeding after me. Well, let's just say the idea didn't sound too appealing to me. Rha'zin, probably sensing my unease, snorted and nudged me more forcefully.

"We don't 'ave much choice! Da Hunta already rode da oda Elf out. 'E made me promise to get ya to safety."

Right, I almost forgot Vendal was a Druid too. Well, if Unandel had already made his retreat…then I guess it would make sense if we headed out as well. Before I could finalize my decision, though, an angry Orc crashed into the undergrowth where we were hiding and fired his rifle. A bullet whizzed past my left side, causing me to cry out in fear. Soon enough, a raging boar flung itself from its master's side and charged us. Rha'zin, taking that as his cue, bowed his head and scooped me up onto his back unceremoniously before taking off. For being burdened with a handicap, I've got to admit that the guy was pretty fast. His gait was uneven, and every now and then he'd fumble a bit, but, overall, his long, swift strides successfully managed to carry us well out of the heart of battle. I grabbed fistfuls of shaggy fur and leaned down so that I was nearly lying across his back, too afraid to straighten up lest I be knocked off. The harsh hammering of my heart slowly calmed as we traveled farther and farther away from the vicious sounds of dismayed and enraged Orcs. Everything was going to be fine… Everything was going to be-

"Gah!" I yelled as a sudden pain exploded throughout the left side of my body.

Rha'zin faltered a bit but didn't stop running, unwilling to allow us to fall behind. Instead, he stated his concern.

"What's wrong?" I could barely hear his voice due to the rushing of air against my ears.

Shakily, I released my grip on his pelt with my right hand and crossed it over to finger my side. Sure enough, I could feel the jagged edges of where my thin armor had been shattered by something. The recent memory of a gunshot resounded through my skull, and I bit down hard on the inside of my cheek when realization washed over me. So, I _had _been shot. Pain lanced through my body again. I groaned and buried my face in thick, course fur. Muscles jerked a bit beneath me.

"Hummin'moon?" The anxiety in his voice had increased, yet I couldn't find the words to console him.

Instead, the world around me began to grow hazy. I shook my head, trying clear my eyes, but the action proved to be futile. My hold on the Troll loosened considerably. I began to slip. Then I was falling, tumbling down further and further until I found myself crashing back into pitch-black waves. Absentmindedly, I reached out a hand, futilely hoping that a certain Night Elf would pull me back out again. Yet, understanding consumed me at the same time that I was swallowed beneath the water, allowing myself to be frozen in place by those thundering, dark clouds. I choked out a last breath, calling out a name as I did so.

"Rha'zin…"

_"You know that feeling when you're lost? You're scared but curious. You can't help it, though, it's natural. It's in our blood. We find ourselves lost all the time, be it physically or mentally, but we always manage to find our way back to the beginning."_

Thump-thump, thump-thump.

_"Wouldn't it be something to live a life that stretched on forever, Hum-drum?"_

Thump-thump.

"That _would_ be something."

I lost myself once more.


	14. Breaking Borders

**Sorry...I hate posting late, cuz then I feel like I'm letting people down... But...update? Yay?**

**I'm really at a loss of what to say for once. Man...enjoy the chapter? Lol (again, sorry if there are any grammar/spelling mistakes; every now and again I'll go back over the already posted chaps and find some, but I do try my best to reread and correct)**

***Disclaimer is same**

* * *

"Oh, Hummingmoon? Fancy meeting you here, eh?"

I was lying on my back against something soft, so soft that I couldn't even tense my muscles in response to the sudden voice that erupted through my unstable conscience. That voice was familiar, though. I moved my hands out beside me, splaying my fingers out as I ran my palms against delicate fronds of grass. This place… I've been here before. This is a dream, isn't it? I'm back in whatever place I had been before the last time I had that strange dream with father. I mouthed the name subconsciously: _Forever Land_. The stars were twinkling just as brightly, seeming to wink at me in a way that made me feel as if they knew something that I didn't.

"It's Hum-drum you dolt, _Hum-drum_. 'Cause she's so gloomy."

Furrowing my brow in confusion, I managed to roll over and look up; however, nothing but the usual scenery greeted me. The world was just as beautiful and green as it had been before, yet, this time, there wasn't a soul in sight. Testing the waters a bit, I cleared my throat.

"Father?" It was odd; I'd never called such a thing before.

Unfortunately, though, I received no response. Everything was still, almost unnaturally so. Was this really Forever Land? Well, even if it was, _where _was it precisely? The first time Caldur had mentioned it I had figured it was just a silly make-believe land that he had conjured in order to appease his wild imagination. Yet, now that I'm here, I can't possibly deny its evident existence. If there really was such an unimaginable world then what was it _really _like? Curiosity getting the better of me, I pushed myself to my feet, idly noting that the pain from earlier had completely disappeared. Still, I held my supposed-to-be injured side with my right hand instinctively as I moseyed over to one of the nearby trees. I pressed my fingertips against the abnormally smooth bark and tilted my head back in an attempt to see the topmost branches. It was impossible. Despite the fact that it was exceedingly tall, there were far too many branches and leaves blocking the view.

"Wow, what a look! I'll bet she's burned people with those eyes, Vendal. Tell me, _Hum-drum_, what's _your _story?"

Those voices…no, this conversation, I'd heard it before. I'd been a part of it. Befuddled and much too curious, I wandered further into the wood, brushing past trees and stepping through masses of overgrown ferns dripping with eternal dew. The drops were like tiny gems that clung to the fibers of the cotton shirt sticking out from beneath my ragged armor. I allowed a stray cluster of leaves to run along the length of my left arm and shivered at the cool, wet touch. This was far too realistic to be considered a dream.

"I'll bet she's just the same as all of the others. You're just another newbie wanting to make a change in the world, aren't you?"

My pace quickened as the talking increased in volume. I was getting closer. My boar-hide boots clomped against the earth, breaking the impending and surreal silence of the forest. Where were the animals? Where were the people? Was I the only one here? I shook my head. No, that couldn't be. Those voices…

"I'm not."

I broke through the tree lining right as my own tongue formed the words that burst forth from my lips in nostalgic surprise. I remember this discussion! We were just outside of Lor'danel, coincidentally working on the same quest. That's when I met them, those insufferably beloved Druid brothers. My attention was instantly drawn to the large, luminescent well that sat in the large clearing I stepped into. Tentatively, I walked a little nearer. There were wells like this scattered every here and there in many parts of Darnassus and Teldrassil. They were all marvelously made and filled with the enchanted water used by the majority of the Night Elven people. Yet, now that I'm close enough to get a good look at it, none of them were as fascinating as this one. The stone bordering was etched with some sort of ancient, glowing rune that repeatedly marked its way all the way around the bottom. Slightly awed, I ran my hand over the design. The well was _huge_. I'd estimate that you could fit about ten Elves inside, maybe a bit more if they all squeezed together really tight. The three towering, wooden shrines that were posted at each diagonal angle gave off a feeling of immense power, and I obliviously felt soothed by their presence.

"Then why are you here?"

Jolted by the sudden question, I glanced down to where the sound had come from. My eyes widened in astonishment, for, shimmering in the radiant, blue center of the pool of water was a moving image. I recognized my own face right away and just as quickly acknowledged the two on either side of me as Caldur and Vendal. I _knew _I'd heard their voices. Anticipating my answer to the Druid's query, I mouthed the words at the same time that my reflection did.

"Because I can be."

Vendal scowled while Caldur snickered. The bolder of the two, always Caldur, skipped up to place a hand on my shoulder and muttered in my ear.

"Anyone _can _be. So, _why _are you?"

Amusement sparked through me as the 'me' in the water shrugged off the offending appendage and marched on. Vendal's glower deepened, and he threw his hands behind his head as he and his brother trailed after me persistently.

"Because I want to know."

They blinked at my reply and shared a bewildered look.

"Know what," they echoed.

I inclined my head to regard them, somewhat annoyed and just a little bit humored by their desire to understand me.

"Everything that I don't."

A tad abashed, I forced myself to look away from the image for a few seconds, distractedly wondering why I had tried to act so mysterious. Looking back on it now, it was humiliating. I'm sure those two had quite a laugh afterwards.

"That's a lot," Caldur supplied intelligently.

My eyes swiveled back to the well.

"I guess people tend to have big dreams when they're kept somewhere small."

Caldur laughed and threw an arm across my shoulders. His twin hopped forward and did the same. The alarmed expression on my face was priceless as both of the guys reached up at the same time to give me a noogie so fondly that it left me with a killer headache for the entirety of the week that followed.

"Welcome to the club, Hum-drum! We're just a bunch of misfits with visions too big to comprehend, isn't that right, Ven?"

Vendal nodded vigorously and beamed, displaying an intimidating pair of lengthy, white canines.

"Come, let us lose ourselves in a world of adventure!"

Caldur barked a laugh near my ear, much to my reflection's chagrin.

"Wouldn't that be something!"

Abruptly, something dropped into the core of the image, disrupting it into a cascade of tiny ripples. I jerked back, startled as something else splashed into the liquid below. My eyebrows tilted inwards in puzzlement as I leaned forward again, trying to get a clearer view of what had fallen. That's when I noticed the cloud of scarlet wafting up from the depths of the wide pool. The glowing light of the nature-enhanced water dimmed considerably as the unknown substance devoured it, corrupting the faces and the scene that had just been displayed. Alarmed, I moved to withdraw once more. However, pain ripped a hole into my side, causing me to cry out and lose my hold on the edge of the stone border. I slipped into the well, gasping as the cold rush of water overwhelmed my senses. Then my lungs were being filled. I choked, earning another stab of agonizing heat to my ribs. My grasp on reality was faltering for the umpteenth time in the span of only a few days. Which way was up? Which was down? Am I dead? Alive? Drowning in liquid or pain? Choking on blood or air? Everything was moving too fast. I couldn't see, hear, or smell. All I could do was struggle beneath the hurt and roll my tongue at the heavy copper that invaded my mouth. The beautiful green of the surrounding world had been stained an unforgiving red.

* * *

"Don't die! Please don't…"

I coughed and rolled over, my eyes finally snapping open to a world of dimly lit colors. My chest heaved with the effort to cram necessary air into the stuttering balloons of oxygen that were my lungs. Fingers dug into hardened earth. My nose took in the scent of dry, musty leaves and salt-tinged sweat. Yet, the pain remained, and so did the taste. A hand pressed itself urgently to my neck, making me wince. Then there was the sound of a short, uneven breath being exhaled and the welcoming feeling of warmth surrounding me.

"Ya gonna stay wit me, alright mon? Ya gonna be just fine. 'Ol Rha'zin's gonna take care of ya."

I let out a moan as something prodded my injured side. Despite the fact that moving only made it worse, I curled into a ball and scored my nails across loose dirt. Just make it stop. Elune, I beg of you. Large, trembling fingers smeared gently across my cheeks, bringing to my attention that tears had managed to leak past without my knowing. How cruel. The cautious hand helped me to lie back down so that I wasn't further irritating the wound. I coughed again. It hurt.

"Hey, hey, everytin's gonna be fine. I won't let ya die, yeah?"

I blinked several times and narrowed my eyes as I tried to peer up through the shadowy curtain of what I guessed to be night. All I could see was a pair of faintly-shining tusks along with something that appeared to be a large fang hanging over me. Absentmindedly, I lifted a hand. My knuckles knocked against the tooth, vaguely pointing out that I was truly awake. Fingers closed around my wrist, holding my arm in place. Rha'zin… I was with Rha'zin now. He was alright. He made it through our poorly-attempted 'fall back'. Good. That's good. My stiff muscles calmed a bit at that. My eyelids fluttered. The fingers squeezed tighter around my wrist as the Troll lowered his head to address me.

"Don't be fallin' asleep now, Elfie. Ya gotta stay awake for me."

An arm wrapped around my shoulders and just barely managed to encircle the backs of my legs as I was abruptly hoisted into the air. I whimpered at the discomfort the action brought with it. A hard chin nestled itself against the top of my head as I was pressed against a broad chest. I placed my left cheek against the tough skin, reveling in the _thump-thump _that resounded against my eardrum. Then we were moving. The Troll grunted as he struggled to carry me with his single arm, but, once he adjusted his hold a little, his pace increased. Soon enough, he was full-out jogging across a barren landscape, heading who knows where with an injured member of the opposite faction gripped tightly in his hold. I had a small sense of what was actually going on. I could recall bits and pieces of what had happened. I know we had been running and that I had been shot. What happened after that, though? Didn't I fall off of the travel-shifted Troll? Did he stop and come back for me? Did I ever really fall off? How long had I been out? Where were Unandel and Vendal? There were so many questions I wanted to know the answer to, though I couldn't ask a single one. My body wouldn't allow it just as strongly as my mind tried to deny the fact that the reasons provided would matter. As if sensing my raging thoughts, my Troll companion grunted a second time.

"Ya need to stay awake, Hum-drum. Let's talk 'bout sometin', yeah? Anytin'."

I mulled over his declaration. Was I falling asleep? Without really understanding anything, I folded beneath the desperation that thickly laced through his voice and complied. My lips quivered.

"R…Rha'zin." Well, that was a start.

The sound of his heartbeat skipped as I shifted my head a little to touch my cheek to the area over the vital organ. A deep hum resonated throughout my skull as he audibly pondered over what I had decidedly begun with.

"Yeah, mon?"

"Would you…" I trailed off, unsure of how to word my thoughts.

He gazed down at me, orange eyes earnest and alert. His arm twitched.

"Ya hurtin'? Need me to-"

I shook my head sharply, cutting him off. No, there was nothing he could do at the moment to make me feel any more at ease. Fixing a skeleton's bones in his grave won't keep a man from walking on it. Wasn't that a saying? Maybe I'm just losing my mind. The pain must be getting to me. That's when I started to think. I mean, _really _think. Usually I mull over things quite a bit, especially the things I'm uncertain about. This, on the other hand, was something else. It felt like my awareness was being suppressed by an overpowering entity. I couldn't force any sort of coherence through the black walls that were hastily being constructed in my head. So, I shook it again, trying to knock some sort of sense through.

"…help me…if needed…"

Rha'zin frowned and lowered his head to hear me better. I licked my lips and spoke up, forcing the words out.

"Would you help me if…if I needed it?"

He snorted as if that were the most ridiculous question he'd ever been asked.

"'Course."

I set my jaw, stubbornly pressing on.

"Even though…we're on different sides?"

He stopped, feet skidding in the dirt as he glared down at me. I shrunk within myself. Caldur would have reconsidered what he'd said about my look if he had so much as caught a glimpse of the raging fire that now my penetrated my very soul from the depths of solemn, orange eyes.

"On different sides? As far as I can see, mon, dere's neva been a line to separate us in da first place."

I reached up to grip his shoulder, trying to steady myself as he grunted for the third time in the past twenty minutes and took off again. His steps remained steady, and I abstractedly wondered if he was making an effort for my sake. My heart warmed to the idea as my eyelids flickered once more. The pain was still present, yet it seemed to be dulling the farther we traveled. Maybe it had gone numb. Something poked into my arm suddenly, bringing the world steadily back into stability as I focused my attention on the Crocolisk-tooth necklace that bounced against my pale skin. I stared at it for a while before returning to my previous position; my head nestled as comfortably as it could against the Troll's chest.

"Your brother," searching eyes dropped to regard me, "what was he…like?"

Rha'zin grinned and tossed his head back to laugh. His unkempt mane shone emerald in the soft light of the rising sun as he did so. I marveled at him. His eyes were alive and swimming with nearly all of the emotions that I knew existed, turning the orange orbs an electric gold as they acknowledged such a simple but immensely meaningful question. When he spoke again his low, pleasant voice was filled with all the pride and cheer of a man who had just courted the perfect woman. He shifted me more securely in his hold.

"Let 'ol Rha'zin tell ya a story."


	15. Lingering Fantasies

**Whoo~ Took me a bit. Typically it only takes me like three-five hours to write a chap, but this time it took me a bit longer...I went back and edited so many things while I was typing.**

**Anywho, this is the last 'spiritual' instance. Meaning, next chap or two will be more "actiony". Yay for blood and gore, lol.**

**Also, this chap kinda made me sad...I'll let you read it to find out why, but, honestly, a certain parting ended a little unexpectedly, though the acquaintance was short-lived.**

***Disclaimer is same.**

* * *

The effort that Rha'zin put into trying to keep me from falling asleep nearly made me want to cry for him. It had been somewhere around dawn when he had first started carrying me, and now the sun was dipping low on the opposite end of the horizon, bathing the flatlands in a honey-gold light. It had been a whole day…and he was _still _walking. He hadn't set me down once, not even to take a break. Yet, he didn't complain. Even more remarkable, though, was that he was _still talking. _From the moment I had asked about his brother he had seemed to fall beneath a spell. His eyes lit up with excitement at each tale he wove delicately with his tongue, creating patterns in my mind that couldn't possibly be created by hand. I had the privilege to hear about his people, the day he first managed to shift into one of his forms, the time when he and a couple of his friends stupidly poured a shot of Scorpid venom in an angry Orcs mug of ale. He spoke of the tragic death of his brother and how, before he had even considered becoming a soldier of the Horde, lost his parents to an unexpected Alliance-Horde brawl that had broken out at Booty Bay.

"What an un-heroic way to go, yeah?" He had stated with a chuckle, albeit a half-hearted one.

It pained me to see the sadness on his face, in the subtle, downward quirk of his lips and the thin lines that creased his forehead as he averted his gaze to stare off into the distance. It must have been hard. His life was riddled with so many pitfalls that he had no choice but to plunder into. And me? Well, I've been tucked away all safe and secure in my tiny home of DuskenVale all my life. I've never had to go through anything excruciatingly unbearable. Sure, there was that time when I had been feeling a little adventurous and managed to sneak a good half a mile or so into the surrounding woods of the miniscule village. I hadn't gotten hurt, but when aunt Belif had sent the guards to search for me then I had gotten a good slap to the cheek and a lifetime's worth of scolding. She had always been a bit overprotective. That's why my life seems so cheery and simple compared to the Troll's. Do I appreciate it, though? Not really. I would much rather have gotten an earlier chance to be a part of all of this than to have been stuck in one place the way I was. Yet, that's exactly how things had turned out to be. Now, here I am dying in the arm of a member of the opposite faction; however, instead of aunt Belif's fears of me falling to their hands coming true, I was being _saved _by the Troll.

"Just a little furda, mon. I'll get ya past da guards and into ya Night Elfie forest."

No, I had been saved the moment I first met him. He was the one who opened my eyes to all of the excitement that this yet-to-be-discovered world had to offer. I let out a long, shaky breath and knocked my head against his chest. His ragged intakes of air grated against his lungs, making me wince as the uncomfortable sound surpassed the uneven beating of his heart. I tested my tongue, which I hadn't been able to use for the past few hours due to the Horde member's constant chatter.

"Rh…Rha'zin…" I'm not prideful enough to lie and say that it didn't hurt; it _burned_.

His weary eyes flickered down to regard me urgently as he caught his foot, nearly stumbling. From what I could see, he desperately needed to take some time to rest. The Troll pressed me closer to his body, surprising me a bit.

"Ya cold?"

It was only when he voiced it that I realized I was shaking. Since the sun had finally disappeared over the faraway hills the temperature had notably dropped a few degrees, giving the atmosphere that cool nip of forthcoming frost. Wow…it's cold. I quaked uncontrollably and tilted my head so that my face was bettered sheltered against the chilly air, right beneath the Troll's arm. A strong wave of stale earth and sweat hit the back of my throat, but, at this point, I didn't really care. He was warm. That's all that mattered. A sigh caused the sturdy chest to push against me and then relax. I didn't have the energy to peek up and satisfy my curiosity.

"What am I s'pposed to do… Can't build a fire, can't keep moving, can't sit still… Hum-drum, what do I do?"

I couldn't answer him no matter how much I wanted to. The pain in my side had long-subsided into a dull, throbbing sort of numbness that left my body stiff. The blood, from what I could tell from the position I was in, had either stopped leaking from the wound altogether or was still dripping at an inconstant rate. My throat hurt when I tried to speak, and my tongue felt too heavy in my mouth when I didn't. Surely that wasn't a good sign. I'd never been in this kind of situation before, though, so how was I to know? How was I to know what to do? Suddenly, we were moving again. Rha'zin let out a loud snarl and surged forward, proceeding with his grueling run. Whether he was frustrated with himself or by my helplessness was beyond me; however, I figured it was the former, for he had always been too nice for his own good.

"Were almost dere, almost dere. Just hold on 'til we get dere, yeah? Yer gonna be fine, Hum-drum, just fine."

My lips twisted oddly at his desperate mantra. Was I really in such poor condition? I know I can hardly move, but certainly I'm well enough to at least struggle by on foot, even if it's at an agonizing pace. My injury doesn't even hurt anymore. In fact, I can't even feel it. The Troll's just going to tire himself out and collapse if he keeps at it. Mulling over our options, I eventually settled with the easiest thing. With some difficulty, I reached up and wrapped my fingers around one of his tusks. I pulled feebly. He stopped.

"B…break…rest…down…" That was about all I could manage, but, judging by the glint that passed through his eyes, I figured he understood.

He shook his head stubbornly, causing my grip on the bone to slip. I grimaced a bit as my arm fell unpleasantly against my stomach, sending a jolt of pain rushing through my core. Rha'zin, being the ever-observant guy that he was, noted my discomfort and made quite the forlorn expression.

"I can't, Hum-drum. If we stop now den…den you," he jerked his head sharply as if clearing his thoughts, "We just 'ave to keep movin', yeah? We're almost dere."

I reached up again, this time ignoring the spark of hurt that raced along the rising appendage. With a little more strength I grabbed his tusk again and tugged it so that his face was lowered closer to mine. He stared at me with wide, fear-filled eyes. Why was he freaking out so much? Exhaling slowly, I lifted myself up the last few inches that separated us and pressed my forehead to his. A sky of sunset-orange clashed with a sea of moonlit-silver. We stayed like that for a while, neither one of us willing to move and break the unusual, immanent connection that was holding us together. Something strange welled within me as I continued to dwell within his warm gaze. What was it about him that made me feel as if I were losing my grasp on what was right and wrong? Right now, being this close, being so carefree and compassionate in each other's presence, wasn't that a crime? Couldn't we be punished for aiding one another like this? Morally, it was wrong…but, internally, somewhere deep within the contours of my heart and soul, it _felt _so right. Was Rha'zin's speculation correct then? Was there ever really a line made to divide us?

"I would rada die den stop 'ere like a fool and watch ya go," the Troll whispered solemnly, eyes hardened and lit with determination.

The barest traces of heat managed to squirm their way to my cheeks, causing the pale skin of my face to darken a shade. It would've gone unnoticed to any normal person, but, then again, when is Rha'zin ever _normal_. He leaned down further, tusks brushing past either side of my head, and gently touched his lips to the sensitive spot between my eyes. If I had been a little more aware and less on the brink of death then I probably would've thrown some sort of fit, madly questioning why he would do such an embarrassing thing. The tender, vulnerable look that took over his expression as he withdrew, on the other hand, probably would've shut me up anyway. I couldn't help but avert my gaze to avoid another onslaught of unnecessary blushing. A tusk knocked against the top of my head briefly before Rha'zin decided to take off again. I nuzzled against him, icy fingers seeking warmth from his body heat as I trembled in his hold.

"Ya be in a sorry state to fall for a Troll, Elfie."

Despite it all, I smiled. Elune be cursed, I _had_ fallen. So, with that final, outrageous thought in mind, I allowed my eyelids to flutter closed. If only the moment could last.

For, I found myself breaking the surface of Forever Land once again.

* * *

"You really just pop up whenever you want to, huh?"

I stretched my non-aching limbs and rolled over, letting out a soft yelp of surprise when I caught a glimpse of just who I had intruded upon. Dark tribal tattoos stretched across a lavender-hued face as the Night Elf hovering over me beamed. Disbelief took hold of me and I jerked up into a sitting position, nearly bumping heads with the man in the process. He leaned back, startled by the sudden movement, and chuckled.

"Give a guy some warn-"

"Father?"

He faltered and allowed his eyes to roam over me, studying and taking note of the wild urgency that I held myself with. His grin faded.

"Yeah?"

That was it. What was I supposed to say to the guy that was supposedly my father but I had only met on one occasion before in a dream? 'Hey, dad, it's good to see you!'? Of course not. I couldn't ask him about where Caldur, Vendal, or Unandel were or how far Rha'zin and I were from Ashenvale. I couldn't ask about the past. I couldn't ask him about mom and why he left her. I couldn't ask about his life. Wasn't I short on time? Weren't Rha'zin and I supposed to be struggling our way through the cold night of the Barrens? Desperation clawed at my throat, but I didn't know how to treat it. My father, sensing my uncertainty and fear, knelt before me and placed a hand on my head. I looked up, I felt like a small child beneath his fond, consoling gaze. His fingers brushed through my hair, combing out the tangled, snowy locks. He pursed his lips in thought, an action I often found myself doing upon pondering over a matter.

"Whatever it is that you may want to ask, I'm afraid that I'll have to answer with an 'I don't know'. It's not because I'm unwilling to help you, but because you seem to be having a difficult time with something that is too far out of my reach."

I lowered my eyes to the bright, green grass and watched as the delicate strands danced back and forth in the swift gust of a pleasant breeze. A frown crossed my face. I picked a blade of emerald subconsciously and twirled it between my forefinger and my thumb. My tongue flickered out between my lips to wet them as I prepared to speak once more.

"Then, can you at least tell me what Forever Land is?"

The sorrowful smile that he presented me with caught me off guard. He extracted his fingers from my silky mane of white, so much like his own, before repositioning them to lie across my eyes. I blinked against the abrupt darkness that shrouded my vision.

"What do you see?" His voice was soft, almost coaxing.

My eyebrows tilted inwards in confusion. Thinking that maybe he was using some sort of spell or magic, I peered harder. Yet, no matter how hard I tried, all I could see was black.

"Nothing."

A laugh escaped the Elf. His warm breath caressed my face as he leaned closer.

"What if I say 'tree'? Now, what do you see?"

Dumbfounded, I practically glared at the inside of his hand. Even though nothing physically brought itself into focus, I could still mentally picture the outline of the given word. I bit my lip.

"…A tree?"

My response seemed to humor him.

"That sounds like a question. Now, what if I say 'sky'?"

I pursed my lips.

"Blue…some clouds. Maybe the sun up in the far corner."

"'Door'?"

"A…well, a door. I mean, it's wooden, pretty big, and has one of those fancy, metal knocker things."

His hand quivered against my face as he chuckled.

"How about 'father'?"

Slowly, I reached up and removed his fingers from across my eyes. Again, I was taken-aback by the affectionate expression he wore. My teeth gnawed against my lip to the point that a hint of copper began to mix with my saliva. I swallowed it back and looked at him. I _really _looked at him. This is the second time that I have seen him, yet, he already feels so familiar. Why is that? His eyes, his hair, his skin, his markings, his touch, his voice…all of it, every part of him feels so painfully familiar yet, I don't understand why.

"You see me, right?"

I nodded hesitantly.

"Because this is the way you think I looked."

Misperception washed over me.

"Don't you?"

"Don't I," he echoed, smiling despite the fact that his mood didn't seem happy at all.

My brow furrowed.

"I don't-" He waved me off and pointed at my head.

"In a place like this you can only perceive things by means of recognition," he motioned to the forest around us, "are these trees not just like any other tree that you would see?"

I dipped my head in affirmation. He motioned up. I followed the movement and gawked. The sky, which had previously been a dark, purplish color dotted with stars, was now in the speeded process of lightening into a soft blue flecked with fluffy masses of wispy clouds. A tentative sun blossomed in the center of the moon and, within a matter of seconds, had completely overtaken it. I could only ogle at the awesome transformation.

"Is that not the sky you had pictured?"

My wide eyes lowered back to his face. What's going on? He pressed a fist against his chest and thumped it twice.

"Am I not the person you imagined to be 'father'?"

That's when reality came hurtling into me, and I gasped at the impact of the horrifying realization. This wasn't, in fact, reality at all. This wasn't some magical dimension that I entered into each time I fell into unconsciousness. This wasn't even a dream. I could sit here and ask 'what's going on' as many times as I wanted to and I know nothing would be resolved. For, I myself can't answer what I already don't know just the same as a person conjured from the depths of my desires can't either. Grief stabbed itself into my heart as I gazed into agonizing, silver orbs that only provided to be mirrors to my own raging emotions. Nonetheless, I held the tears back as I confronted the other Elf, wanting to prove to this man that I was his unwavering, unbreakable daughter, even though I wasn't.

"You are every bit the father I wished to have."

He smirked and I felt all the satisfaction of a child being praised by the one they admired most as he wrapped his arms around me in a self-created embrace. Of course, this wasn't actually happening; I wasn't actually being hugged by my father. Yet, it felt every bit as real as if he were. So, I indulged myself in the feeling for the short few minutes that it lasted before the man pulled away. He ran a hand through my hair one, last time in manner that I couldn't help but compare to the way that uncle did. Then he signaled with his head for me to look back. I did. My lips quivered. A door stood, elegantly crafted into the smooth bark of one of the nearby trees. I merely watched as it clicked and swung open. There, on the other side, was the image of Rha'zin. The Troll was still running, still carrying me…still giving his all for my sake. I took a deep breath and rose to my feet. My boots crackled against fallen twigs and decaying leaves as I approached the opening. I gingerly reached out a hand to finger the beautiful, metal knocker that was embedded into the side of the door.

"If this were all real…would you be proud of me?"

I only asked in order to feel the appeasement that I knew would come from his answer. At this point, I knew he was merely a figment of what I wished could have been…

"I'd be the proudest father in the world."

…But, his response sent a fire coursing through my soul. A smile tugged at my lips as I stepped into the opening, leaving behind me a twisted, wonderful world that I would have liked to have remained in forever. Elune be cursed…I'd rather die a thousand deaths than be tempted to stay in solace while the one I cared for most struggled to bring me back.

_Caldur can't stay lost forever, and neither will we. _

I opened my eyes to find myself safe and secure in Rha'zin's arm once more.

* * *

**Also~ special thanks to Khaylie, Connet, and Cookie (you 3 are my most constant reviewers and always motivate me to move on to the next portion of the story) Thanks so much T~T **


	16. Unexpected Hope

**Eh...I'm gonna go on ahead and admit that this is the first "full" story that I have ever written. Usually I don't stick to plot lines for this long, but you guys have helped motivate me to write it (and I REALLY do enjoy writing it). Also, though, this is the first Romance that I have ever attempted to write. Mushy-gushy isn't really my forte, but I figured I'd try and step outside of my comfort zone...I hope that doesn't discourage some of you from reading further. Love is slow and trivial, something that progresses in reality, and that's how I'd like it to be in my story :3**

***Disclaimer is same**

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The Troll finally stopped. I'm not sure whether my weak begging and pleading had eventually gotten to him or he was just tired, but, either way I was relieved. His whole body trembled with fatigue as his legs buckled beneath him and his knees hit the dirt. I jolted in his hold, yet he stubbornly kept me from falling. A thin sheen of sweat coated his blue skin, making him shiver harder at the chilling touch of the midnight air. Slowly, gingerly he lowered me to the hard, cracked earth and doubled-over beside me in a half-crouched, half-kneeling position. His chest heaved with the effort to draw in the oxygen he very much needed, however, he broke off in a cough several times, lungs recoiling at the unnatural, icy air that cascaded down his throat in an offending torrent of desperation. Tentatively, I reached up from where I lay to place a hand on his knee. Despite his frantic attempts at breathing, he willingly turned his attention to me. I forced my tongue to make words and my lips to shape them.

"Straighten…breathing is easier…" I motioned up as I mumbled.

Getting the gist of what I was implying, Rha'zin nodded and straightened his spine. His head rose and fell back so that he had better access to the air, tusks glinting eerily in the light of the rising moon. His gasps and grunts gradually subsided as he took in what he needed and relaxed. I watched him, somewhat entertained as I was able to witness the uncoiling and resetting of every muscle and nerve that was bold enough to protrude beneath his flesh. It quelled the anxiety within me a little. The Troll, even though he was vulnerable now, was a strong fighter. He had lived through, no, _fought _through so much more than other people of other races in other lands. He had been a soldier, an insignificant toy to toss out with the rest. It didn't matter whether he survived or not. There were always more to go around, more to throw away. Such were the ways of the Horde's invincible and almighty _Warchief. _Yet, Rha'zin had once looked forward to the idea of fighting. Had he wanted to appease the senseless Orc that his faction called a 'leader', or was there something more behind it? Maybe there was or maybe there wasn't. It doesn't matter now anyway. He's here, isn't he? He's helping me, a Night Elf, a supposed enemy. He's giving up whatever dreams and goals he had previously yearned to achieve in order to aid me. For what cause, though? What could he possibly gain from sparing my life? At this point he had nothing left.

"Dat," the Troll let out a long sigh of satisfaction, "dat was da longest run I do believe I eva ran."

I stared at him. After all this time,_ that's_ what he's thinking? I wanted to scoff but couldn't muster the energy to do so. I settled with a half-hearted eye-roll instead.

"St—stupid…"

Orange eyes flickered to my face, slightly amused.

"I don't wanna 'ear dat from ya, mon. Ya be da most foolish person I eva met."

My body tried to laugh despite my mind's worried nagging, and I earned a sharp pang of discomfort from my side in response. Catching sight of my wince, Rha'zin frowned and edged a little closer. His hand lowered to hover over my injury. He hesitated.

"I'm gonna 'pologize in advance, mon."

Before I could question him I was overtaken by the searing agony of something tearing into my ribs. I bit down hard on my tongue to keep from crying out as rough but gentle fingers peeled back the cracked armor around the bullet-hole wound. Unnecessary tears, born from the sudden, unexpected hurt that coursed through me, gathered at the corners of my eyes. I fought them back as I struggled to remain still. Rha'zin constantly breathed out apologies while he fumbled with the tattered cloth beneath the armor, which, unfortunately, had been plastered to my skin by the thick rivulets of blood that had clotted around the area. He was trying to help me. I knew that. I trusted him too. Still, some part of me, the instinctual side, caused me to grip his wrist, halting his movements. He wasn't trying to hurt me, but… Elune be cursed, I was _dying_. If he tried to remove the cloth then he'd probably remove my skin along with it. At least, that's what it felt like. Obstinately, I shook my head as he tilted his to regard me. His eyes gleamed with uncertainty and apprehension.

"Hummin'moon, I-"

"Hurts…"

Something subdued within him at the single, drawn-out word that my scarlet-flecked lips uttered. His shoulders loosened and his whole being seemed to deflate as he allowed me to guide his hand back to the ground. His large fingers were slick with crimson, iron-tinged liquid that painted the dry, brittle grass a rusty brown. He lowered his head, defeated.

"I can't let ya die."

My eyes softened at the same time my heart skipped a beat. My hand tightened a bit around his. He copied the action. We humbly stayed like that for a while afterwards. It was still cold, but the wind wasn't as biting as it had been earlier. The earth was still hard but my head felt as if it were being cushioned. The pain still lingered, yet it numbed as time passed. I was no fool. I knew I couldn't continue like this. If I didn't get help soon then I'd die. It was as simple as that. Life was as simple as that. We're born, we live, and then we die. Nonetheless, people try so hard to deny the inevitable. That's why treatments exist. That's why certain people take on healing aspects and specialize in aiding the wounded. Does that make them weak-minded for not being brutal enough to throw themselves into the midst of combat? Of course not. A healer is just as important as a fighter. They are the preservers. They are the hope that a fighter needs in order to carry on. Without a healer, a soldier is a dead man. I know this. However, where is the hope I so desperately wish to cling on to? Rha'zin can't heal. He'd told me so earlier in one of his many stories. He'd failed at healing his brother, and he blames himself for his sibling's death. So, what would become of him if I died in a similar manner? Would he blame himself as well? My fingers proceeded to grip around the Troll's more urgently as I thought.

"Rha'zin," I whispered lightly, shakily.

He leaned forward a tad, probably to better hear me.

"Yeah, Hum-drum?" His voice held a quiver that matched my own.

"S'not…your fault."

He grunted and pulled back. My resolve only hardened at that. I squeezed his palm, making him look at me. His eyes were swimming with regret and sorrow.

"S'not your fault… I'm just…a klutz…stupid Elf…brother too, wasn't… S'not your fault."

That's when I noticed the tears. The salty liquid created glistening, wet trails down paint-streaked cheeks as the droplets rolled down and dripped from the end of a trembling jaw. My breath caught in my throat. His hand nearly crushed mine as he leaned over, all the way so that his forehead rested against my stomach. I couldn't help but stare at him. He was crying. This Troll, the one that had seemed so unshakeable, so courageous and unstoppable…was crying. Moreover, he was too ashamed to show his face and reveal to me that he as well had a weakness just like normal people. He too could feel, and he didn't want me to think any less of him because of that fact. Encouraged, I lifted my other arm to run a hand through tangled, unruly shocks of green hair. It was soft, softer than the grass I had found myself entranced with on more than one occasion in Forever Land. A soft whimper escaped him. I stroked his head comfortingly. Yet, my arm quickly returned to the ground as the sudden bout of energy left me. Why couldn't I do anything useful at a time like this? A time when he needed me the most? My heart thrashed against my ribcage uncomfortably as Rha'zin shifted, hand releasing mine to move up and under my head, cradling it carefully as he rose a little to gaze down at me. My soul nearly shattered into a million pieces at the grief-stricken expression he wore.

"I must be a cursed to lose everyone I care 'bout," he muttered.

It was then that I noticed tears of my own had leaked from eyes, traitorously revealing all of the pent-up sorrow I held for him. It wasn't fair. Why? Why do things have to be this way? Why did his parents have to die? Why did his brother have to die? Why couldn't he heal? Why wasn't he given a chance? What was to be expected of a combat-driven, one-armed Troll without a person in the world to care for him?

"What was I born for?"

A grating sob tore its way through my chest and rose into my throat at his hollow plea. What were any of us born for? Elune, were we really such fragile entities of life? Were we puppets and toy soldiers to be controlled and dumped like garbage without a purpose? I really don't like that. This isn't the type of world that I had wanted to experience when I stepped outside of that run-down gate in DuskenVale. I wanted to be happy, free, and always eager to take on the next challenge. I wanted to see all of the varieties of life with my own eyes and make a spot for myself to belong. But this…all I've witnessed so far is loss, hurt, and defeat. Every thought that lingered through my mind had become a panicked question. Is Caldur alright? Where are Unandel and Vendal? Will I ever be able to return home to aunt and uncle? What about Rha'zin? _What about him_? What was to become of him after this whole mess was supposedly sorted out? He had broken a grave rule by assisting us. Surely, he couldn't return to the existence he led before. How would he fair? How would_ I_ fair? Am I really going to die? Something surged within me at that, forcing more tears to spill over and for another aching sob to contract at my lungs. Hearing the sound, my Troll companion responded likewise and ducked his head so that his tusks slid along either side of my face. Orange bore into silver as he touched his forehead to mine, hot breath ghosting across my nose and lips. If I had to die, I suppose I can at least say that I'm glad I did so with him by my side.

"I won't let ya die."

How can he still say that? All hope had drained from me. I was merely a breathing corpse at this point in time, cowardly awaiting my demise. Yet, he was still grasping on to some futile shred of something that was much too small to make any sort of difference. Though it pained me, I wasn't cruel enough to deny him that.

"S'okay…" I attempted to sooth him even as another choking breath jarred my body.

He whined piteously, much like the feral beast that lingered within him, and inched closer to press his nose against mine. I somehow found the energy to reach up and grip tightly onto strands of his hair once again. For some reason, the tears were dissipating. The overhanging, dark clouds of depression and anguish still hovered thickly overhead, but they were seemingly subdued as the Troll's face still moved closer. I waited, tense and expectant as his wide lips paused a hair's breadth from my own. Subconsciously, I had closed my eyes when he had first moved to capture my head between the enlarged bones curving out from his mouth. Now, though, I slowly opened them. What I saw in those eyes, staring so affectionately but so agonizingly into my own, made me pull him closer to close the distance. It was the first time I had ever kissed somebody. Warm lips connected with warm lips and moved in a rhythm that could only be made by the steady beating of two intertwining hearts. Still, it was everything that I had expected it to be. I felt the fondness and need for his person coursing through me like fire through my veins. This is what living was meant to feel like. This is what I had been looking forward to. However, the moment was short-lived as Rha'zin abruptly pulled away, tusks sliding hastily across my heat-colored cheeks as he jerked back and swiveled his head around to glare at something in the distance. Hesitantly, I followed his eyes, only to be met with a sight that shocked me to my core. For, there, crouched beneath a withered tree several yards away with his back pressed against the rigid bark was none other than a very familiar Human Paladin. The man's eyes were sharp chips of ice that broke through the impending darkness as he watched us.

"Geoff…"

* * *

The reunion wasn't as pleasant as I had hoped it to be. Rha'zin carefully lowered my shoulders and head back to the ground as he moved to step across me and take up a defensive position. Geoff, on the other hand, showed no means of hostility or offense towards the member of the opposing faction. He just crouched, feet tucked beneath him and shoulders hunched a bit as his gaze flickered between me and the Troll. Minutes passed. Silence prevailed. Then the Paladin spoke. Despite the current situation, I realized how much I had seriously missed his voice.

"Intriguing turn of events, I must say," he inclined his head to one side in a contemplative manner, "especially since I am familiar with both of you." He threw a pointed look at Rha'zin, causing the Troll to tense.

Orange eyes narrowed suspiciously then widened suddenly in incredulity. A large hand rose to point at Geoff accusingly.

"Ya be da foolish brute dat I ran into back in Ashenvale! Took my arm off real nice, yeah? Kept it as a trophy I bet."

Oh, so Geoff was the one who was responsible for Rha'zin's unfortunate handicap? It was true that the Human had been in the forest that day, for he's also the one that saved my hide from the wrath of the patient-worn Sentinels back at Astranaar. So, in hindsight, I can't really stay mad at him. The guy had always been there for me when I needed him most. A snort sounded, snapping my attention back to the present conversation.

"Preposterous. Why would I want to keep such a thing?"

"Ya Humans be odd creatures, so it seems befittin' of ya nature."

"You're one to talk. What are those bones hanging from your hair and armor? Are those not the remnants of your enemies?"

The Troll growled in disapproval.

"'Course not, mon. Dey're just animal bones. Dey be da proof dat I'm a Darkspear Troll," he reached up to tap his cheek, "same as da paint."

I tilted my head to observe the Paladin as he offered a humorless smile and pushed himself to his feet. Rha'zin eyed him warily as the man brushed stray dirt from the metal plating on his chest and made to come closer. The Troll let out a warning growl and bent lower, chipped fingernails lengthening into long, black claws as the Druid part of his body reacted to the potential threat. Geoff waved him off and stopped a few feet away, just close enough to reach over and tap my arm with the tip of his sword if he so wanted to.

"Oh, come off it, Troll. I'm simply checking on my fallen comrade."

That did little to sooth the stiffness in the Horde member's posture. Instead, fur began to grow in random patches every here and there along the entirety of his body. I could tell he was holding back his transformation, but the natural instinct to shift and attack was fighting against him tooth and claw. I caught his eye and gave him a meaningful look. He relaxed a little, albeit wistfully. Geoff sighed and lowered himself onto the cool ground beside me. I looked up at him. He looked down at me. I smiled. He attempted not to and failed.

"What have you gotten yourself into this time, Hummingmoon Dawnweaver? I swear, if I didn't pop up whenever you just so happened to be in trouble then you'd have died a hundred times over already."

Rha'zin watched, guarded as the Human expertly removed the rest of my armor without difficulty and straightened my cotton shirt. The Paladin sucked in a sharp breath as he took in the severity of the wound. I tensed, preparing for the pain that I knew would arise from his touch as he reached over to tenderly finger the enflamed skin that showed through the ripped fabric. A worried frown crossed his face, sending a wave of fear throughout my body. Geoff never made that face, not even when the Sentinels of Lor'danel came back every now again with fighters that had been mauled and bloodied beyond recognition. Maybe it was just because I was his friend, thus the aspect of me being in danger was a little direr. Or maybe it was because I really was a lost cause. Confused and afraid, I whimpered, drawing Geoff's attention. The man offered me a consoling smile and smoothed back my ruffled locks.

"Don't you worry one bit, Hum, I'll fix you right up."

Holding him to his word I nodded and looked over his shoulder at a very uneasy Troll. Rha'zin shuffled over as the Human rose and stepped over me to gain better admission to my injured side.

"Dere be a bullet still inside," the Druid supplied, begrudgingly helping since he could do nothing more than act as a bystander at the moment.

The Paladin's brow furrowed at that, and he delicately pulled back the straggling shreds of my shirt before thoroughly inspecting the wound. I studied him from the corner of my eye, grimacing every once in a while when he unintentionally prodded or scraped against the sensitive skin. A large hand found my shoulder, and I felt myself easing into the touch as Rha'zin attempted to sooth my pain through physical contact.

"Well I'll be damned, you're right. Sorry, Hum, but this is going to hurt," Geoff glanced up at the Troll and motioned to the discarded, leather chest-covering to my right, "Tear a strip of that off to give her something to bite on."

Reluctantly, the Troll did as he was told and picked up the scraps of hard, worn material. He slipped one end between his teeth and held on tightly to the top, left corner. Then he jerked his head back and tore downward with his hand, successfully ripping a good piece of leather. I was momentarily dumbstruck by his creativity. Geoff, too, for the man snorted a laugh and held out his hand to retrieve the offered strip.

"Well, at least you've learned to adapt to it, right?"

Rha'zin sniffed disdainfully.

"No tanks to ya."

The Human raised his hands up in a sign of defensive innocence before lowering them again to hover over my face.

"Guilty as charged," the Paladin signaled for me to open my mouth, "Here you are, Hum. Bite down good, alright?"

I let him coax the leather over my tongue and chomped down hard on the tough article, fastening my canines deep into either side of the strip. He patted my cheek before withdrawing back to my side and taking a deep breath. His eye caught mine. He grinned feebly.

"Don't hate me after this, alright?"

If I even survived. My world soon exploded in a burst of gut-wrenching torment as his fingers slipped past the frayed edges of my skin and buried themselves into the core of the wound. A low groan chafed my throat as the thick wad of leather in my mouth prevented a shriek of agony from working its way up and out of my lungs. Rha'zin's hand ran along the length of my arm until his fingers had found my own. Then he held on tight. I gripped on to him like a drowning man would a tossed lifesaver, too terrified and too relieved to let go.

"There, it's out."

It took me a couple of minutes to catch my breath and gather my bearings, but, once I did, I tilted my head to see the small, sharpened bullet that he held up between his forefinger and his thumb. Geoff glowered at the tiny, insignificant thing.

"No wonder you were in such bad shape. This bullet is very well-crafted. Look here," the pad of his finger traced the point of the metal, "it's even sharpened specifically so that it can pierce through armor. I'll bet it could have even shattered something like what I'm wearing if it had been a clean hit."

I shivered at the thought and was almost instantly swarmed with two warm, comforting pairs of eyes. Blue and orange, both complimentary to each other but in no means similar, glistened with unspoken relief and fondness as I beamed weakly up at the night sky. I'm so glad they're here.

"Alright, Hum, the hard part's over. You can rejoice once I finish healing."

With that, the Paladin placed both of his hands over the hole in my side. A bright, golden light dispersed the surrounding blackness around us, creating a soft ring of pulsing energy. I had only seen Geoff cast this spell, or whatever it was called, from a distance. Sometimes, when things got bad back at Darkshore, the minors, the trainees, were called in to assist the major healers. Now, Geoff was no healer. He was a Paladin that rarely used Holy Power, claiming it was 'unnecessary' despite the fact that it was more than likely his biggest trump card in a fight. However, at rare times like these, the Human was forced to bring forth the traces of the Holy magic that dwelled within him in order to complete a task that couldn't possibly be completed with one's bare hands.

"Word of Glory," he mumbled to himself as the light faintly increased in brightness.

I marveled at the feeling that flowed throughout me. The chilly air that had irritatingly persisted to make me quiver was shielded back by the warmth of the spell. As soon as the vitality had returned to my limbs, I reached up and removed the piece of leather from my mouth, sighing as the skin on my left side smoothed and knit itself back together to cover the hole. Within seconds it was over. I was healed. With a small grunt of satisfaction, Geoff relaxed his shoulders and lifted his hands. The wound had completely disappeared, leaving nothing but gory-looking smears and splatters of crusted scarlet as proof that there had ever been anything there at all. The Human caught my eye and smirked.

"Well, there's one problem solved."

I lifted a brow at the implicative note that rang at the end of his statement. Giddiness and humor creeping into his previously placid expression, he leaned over to whisper in my ear.

"Now we've got that gloomy, one-armed boyfriend of yours to deal with."

Hope seemed to enjoy teasing me.

* * *

**Did anyone else miss Geoff? For some reason I was so happy to bring him back into the flow of things...**


	17. First-Aid

**T~T ...My schedule underwent a drastic change. I just transferred from a blissful 3-week break back to my original, stressful schedule that leaves me with only an hour of free time every day. So, there's my excuse for posting later than usual. Sooooooooooooooo sorry~~~**

**~My schedule will probably remain this way for a while as well (until my next break at least)...so I may end up posting once or twice a week instead of every other day -_-'**

***Disclaimer is the same**

* * *

Moving was a breeze once I found myself up and able to maneuver about. It was like a miracle. There was no pain, no irritation, and no uncomfortable pulling at my side. Everything had been completely healed. If I didn't know better, then I'd say Geoff's method of aiding was just as good as that of someone who practiced healing for a living. Elated to be at the peak of my vitality, I glanced sideways at the Human to my left and grinned.

"That was amazing, Geoff! It really did the trick," I declared while twisting both ways to stretch my middle.

His bright, blue eyes lit up at the compliment, though he averted them to something besides my face in a rare show of embarrassment. It was a pity that the subtle, red glowing beneath his skin gave him away.

"It wasn't anything grand, just a basic technique that all Paladins are required to know."

"What was it called again? Word of God?"

"Glory," he chuckled.

"Word of Glory," I whispered, an enlightened smile plastered to my face.

A loud snort sounded to my right, making me jump a bit as I inclined my head to regard my seemingly-disgruntled Troll companion. Rha'zin had been strangely quiet ever since we had started moving again. Sure, it had only been an hour or two, but, for him, that was a rather long time to not so much as utter a sound. I suppose that's why I was so startled by the noise. Hesitantly, I tilted my eyebrows inward in an act of bemusement whilst reaching over to lay a hand on his stump of a left arm. He hardly reacted to the touch. Instead, he turned to glare, not at me, but _through _me at a certain, prideful Paladin.

"What glory? If it's as simple as ya claim it to be, mon, den it's not sometin' too special, yeah?"

Geoff's beam faded. His eyes flickered right, mirroring the challenging flames that flickered in the Troll's.

"I recall saying that 'it wasn't anything grand'. Having such large ears, I find it rather strange that you misheard."

Rha'zin growled and opened his mouth to retort, however, I pinched him lightly and shook my head. The Horde member gave me a long, hard look before swinging his head back around to stare ahead, unwilling to make eye contact with either of us. Oddly enough, I had begun to notice that it was becoming easier to tame his constantly-fluctuating mood. Somewhat exasperated by his childlike behavior, though, I sighed and returned my attention back to the Human. He was still frowning, albeit less intently.

"Don't mind him, Geoff. He's usually not so…cold."

The Paladin lifted a thin brow.

"I see," a wicked glint abruptly twinkled in his eyes, "So, you're telling me to believe that the_ intimate_ moment between you two back there was something that generally happens on a daily basis?"

Blood rushed up my neck and darkened my cheeks in a mortified blush as I suddenly recalled the icy gaze that had observed us before. His humor crackled through the air like lightning, causing every hair on my body to stand on end. For a few moments I stumbled over my own emotions, unsure of whether I was angry, afraid, or just outright humiliated by the prospect that the Troll and myself had been seen by the Human. Certainly it wasn't anything too serious. I mean, people kiss all the time, right? Aunt and uncle did it plenty, and I'd even seen a few people here and there in DuskenVale take it that tiny smidge further when they'd thought no one was looking. It's not like I searched for those kinds of things, much less understood them, yet, overall, the prospect of physical contact that was elicited from arousing affections…well, having experienced it myself for once, I must say it was exhilarating in its own sort of way. However, it's still not something that I can completely wrap my head around.

"That's-Well, we were just…I didn't-"

"Ya don't 'ave to ans'a dat, Hum-drum."

Geoff nearly tripped.

"Hum-drum?" The incredulity and bewilderment was evident in his voice as he snapped his head around to look between the both of us.

I bit my lip. Rha'zin shook his mane of leafy-green hair and absentmindedly reached up to fiddle with one of his various, bone-riddled trinkets. We made sure not to meet each other's gaze as I responded.

"Yeah...Vendal and I both gave him permission to call me by that name."

The Paladin scoffed.

"What does Vendal have to do with it?"

A blessed, heart-warming light opened up at the end of the dark tunnel that our current discussion had enclosed within my mind. What a perfect topic-changer. Jumping on the opportunity, I forced down my previously growing dread before reaching up to unexpectedly clap the man on the shoulder. He flinched in surprise. Rha'zin inclined his head to stare.

"Speaking of Vendal," Geoff rolled his eyes, instantly picking up on my aim, "you didn't happen to see either him or Unandel at some point last night did you?"

The man regarded me for a minute or so, allowing a heavy silence to pass between us as he contemplated over whether or not to follow through with my lead. Eventually, though, he sighed and lifted a hand to brush aside short, stray locks that shone a black darker than the inky night surrounding us. For a Human, I had always thought that Geoff was physically appealing. His eyes and hair juxtaposed so greatly with each other that they gave off a contrasting personality of their own. His pale skin fit smoothly over his lean muscles, oftentimes giving him that unearthly-like presence. He was so different from the other people of his race. Unlike the men, he wasn't quite as bulky, his limbs and waist much slimmer than those of the others I've seen. Nevertheless, he obviously stood out if placed next to a woman. Yeah, his face wasn't as chiseled as it probably could or should have been, but, mysteriously, it had some unknown way of subtly revealing that masculine strength that I knew he possessed. Naturally, being both handsome and of a different race, he had always been rather popular with the female population of Lor'danel.

"Actually, I ran into them a while ago," he finally acknowledged my question with a charming quirk of his lips and a small nod, "The Hunter was in a bit of a mood…and not a good one at that. I asked what had been the matter, but he told me that he and the Druid were going to push ahead. So, being the selfish, confident fool that he is, the Elf told me to stay and wait for you and a certain Horde member to prance by."

He motioned his head at Rha'zin.

"I can honestly say that I most certainly didn't expect to see you again."

The Troll scowled and hunched his shoulders in a guarded manner. My eyes flickered between the two curiously.

"Didn't really _want _to see ya again."

Geoff waved a hand flippantly, good humor taking over as it mingled with his impish side.

"Well, at least we can agree on something."

"Dat only makes me dislike ya more."

"All the better, my friend."

"I'm not yer friend."

"Surely you're not my enemy?"

"I'd rada leave it at dat."

"Ah, come now," the Paladin slung an arm around my shoulders and drew me close, "Hum seems to like you enough! Why can't I be your friend as well?"

The Troll stiffened, jaw clenching as he took note of the sudden proximity between me and the Human. A warning growl rumbled in his throat as he slowed his pace to match the other man's smaller, more even ones. His large, blue hand reached over to grasp my arm, successfully jerking me free from Geoff's loose hold in a single, fluid movement. Blue eyes narrowed in mirth at the same time that innocent hands lifted into the air.

"Or maybe you're just afraid that I'm trying to steal your girl."

Rha'zin's growl thundered into an inhuman snarl as he shoved his face threateningly towards the Human's, tusks barely an inch from the vulnerable skin of the grinning man's cheeks. Despite his current situation, the Paladin chuckled, eyes gradually softening from chips of ice to gentle waves of endless blue.

"It's alright, I understand. Hum's a special girl. You're lucky to have her love you back just the same."

That took the Horde member off guard. Rha'zin withdrew, not letting go of my arm but pulling his face back from Geoff's in order to show that the other's words had affected him. I glanced up, everything from my collar bone and above ablaze with self-conscious heat as my silver eyes rose to meet abashed orange. Immediately, I was released. The motion was so quick that I would've stumbled over and fell if my Human companion hadn't thought to catch me in time. Befuddled, I straightened myself and glanced back quizzically at the Troll. However, he was no longer looking at me. Instead, he was attempting to cover his face with his single hand, thick fingers splayed around the protruding bones in his mouth. What the hell is he doing? Curiosity getting the better of me, I slinked forward to block his path, halting him in his tracks. His entire head turned away from me when I tried to study his expression. Irritated, I rose up onto my tip-toes and wrapped my smaller, more delicate fingers around his wrist and removed the appendage. What I saw made me freeze. He was blushing.

"D-don't look at me like dat, mon." He took a hasty step back and just as swiftly brushed past me as he made to escape my dumbstruck gaze.

Geoff let out a bark of laughter, patting me on the shoulder in what I assumed to be a reassuring gesture as he followed the Troll. My legs, a tad numb from the shock, took a few seconds to begin properly working again.

"I've never laid eyes on a more hopeless couple," the Paladin managed between amused chortles.

"Who said anytin' 'bout bein' a couple," Rha'zin threw defensively over his shoulder.

"Why else would you have been locking lips before?"

The heat returned full-force to my head once I caught up to them. I stuttered.

"W-we didn't do anything of the sort!"

Disbelief flickered across the man's expression. He shook his head. The Troll, still flustered by the previous comment, blatantly refused to face me. I suppose that's why I'm the only one that noticed the abrupt, unnatural gleam of something flickering atop one of the large hills in the not-too-faraway distance. It took me a second to squint as I peered closer and only half of one to react as a painfully familiar bang snapped through the air. Terrified, I lunged sideways into Geoff, who of which had been the apparent target of the bullet that now whizzed over our heads. The man grunted in alarm and wrapped an arm around me, quickly rolling the both of us over and out of the way as another shot rang out. A sharp _ting _sounded, catching my attention in the same instant that the Human above me winced.

"Geoff?!"  
He let out a steady breath and had the nerve to smile down at me.

"It refracted, no harm done."

I would've punched him or something for worrying me, however, the Paladin was lifted away from me in the blink of an eye. I looked up just in time to see a blue hand lowering, making a grab for one of my purple ones. I slid my palm across his and allowed Rha'zin to hoist me up. His expression was grave and pressing as he swiveled me around and shoved me lightly from behind. Geoff ran past me to take up a defensive position in front of us as a third shot sounded. I grimaced and covered my ears, having already made a negative connection with the sound and the horrible pain that it ensued.

"Go, follow da Human," the Troll ordered brusquely, too preoccupied to bother with common courtesy.

Giving a short dip of my head in compliance, I quickened my pace so that I was almost touching the shining, metallic armor of the large plate protecting the Paladin's back. He tossed a glance over his shoulder to make sure that we were following before lengthening his strides. Before long, we were sprinting through dry, dead grass that broke and snapped beneath the perseverance and desperation of our desire to escape from danger. Adrenaline pumped energy throughout every fiber of my being, lending strength to the jarring muscles in my legs as well as heightening my senses to their maximum. So, it was on instinct that I leapt backwards a good few feet when I caught a glimpse of something creeping in our direction from the north, well-hidden as it stealthed and seemed to meld into its environment. Fortunately, though, I was a Rogue, well-educated on the arts of mock-invisibility and soundless assassination. Thus, the presence of the large, horned cat making its way at a frightening speed towards us was deliberately conveyed through my abrupt reaction. Rha'zin was the first to respond. A feral roar ripped itself from the Troll's chest as he lunged forward, body twisting and angling until he took on a similar form as the beast he soon clashed with. Geoff shouted and made to fall back but was just as quickly intercepted by yet another gunshot. The bullet barely missed, embedding itself in the hard earth by the Human's feet as both he and I lifted our heads to glare at the smug Orc standing beneath one of the surrounding trees several yards away.

"Ragath'a!"

Where have I heard that one before? My Paladin companion slowly drew his blade and leveled it in the air at the ugly creature's head. The Horde member seemed to take the hint and set its lips, chipped, yellow teeth extended in several places, into a firm glower. Following Geoff's lead, I unsheathed my own weapons and held them close to my sides. Dull, mud-colored eyes tracked the movement lazily before snapping up to indicate at the air above me. I didn't have enough time to dodge, much less let out a cry as something attacked me from above. A bone-chilling shriek berated my eardrums harshly at the same time that thickly-curved talons encircled my arms. Struggling, I soon learned, was futile as the tendons in my arms were gripped in such a way that the dagger hilts were forced to slip up and out of my fingers. My Human companion diverted his attention from the Orc and swung out an arm in my direction. The sickening squelch of metal slicing through bone and muscle twisted my stomach uncomfortably. The toes of my feet hit the ground before a bird-like head did, signifying that my assailant had been a common Barren's Vulture, no doubt the Hunter's pet. However, I was more surprised by the fact that the Paladin's blade could reach this far. The enemy must have felt the same way, for the Orc shouted something angrily in Orcish and then proceeded to raise his gun. Geoff, unfortunately for the Horde member, was quicker. It only took him three long strides and a sweep of his arm to end the creature's life in the same manner as the pet that had fallen before it. Then he turned to face me, sticky strings of crimson clinging to the smooth surface of his armor.

"Let's go back to help the Troll." His voice was solemn, no longer holding any traces of the merriment that he had so willingly showered us with earlier.

I knew better than to argue against anything he said when he was like this. For the Human, being serious meant that we were in a life-or-death situation. It also meant that if I rejected his reasoning then he might as well be inclined to end my life right here and now. 'No' wasn't a possible answer in this case. So, like an obedient child, I followed him cautiously as he strode past me brusquely, the heavy mail beneath his metal plating clinking together in a constant rhythm. How he could stand to wear such heavy material all the time was beyond me. Though, regrettably, I unexpectedly learned that he had good reason to when something abruptly plunged down from one of the overhanging trees. A Blood Elf, clad in dark leather, landed heavily on Geoff's back and struck downwards in the same instant that the Paladin's fighting instincts kicked in. The Human lurched to the side, throwing off his attacker while successfully altering the Rogue's aim, which, I'm nearly certain, would have killed him had he not reacted as soon as he did. That didn't mean that he hadn't been harmed at all, though. I rushed to the man's side as his knees buckled beneath him, throwing myself in between the glaring Elf and my wounded companion. The other Rogue, also a female, scowled at me and tensed as I locked my spiteful silver eyes with her iridescent, green ones.

"Throm-Ka, Ragath'a dogg," the Elf jeered in what seemed to be a sarcastic manner.

Unaffected by her assumed taunt, I crouched, hands reaching for my belt. That's when the blood-freezing realization that I had left my daggers on the ground hit me. Elune be cursed… The Rogue didn't give me time to dwell upon the ill-fated fact as she yelled something else in Orcish and lunged for me. Just because I didn't have a weapon, however, didn't exactly mean I was at much of a disadvantage. Time seemed to slow down as I hastily predicted the target of her strike and stepped swiftly out of the way to avoid it before her blade could cleave through my ribs. Startled by my reaction, the Elf drew back sharply for half a second before decidedly grabbing for her second dagger and pulling it out of its place in her belt. A malevolent smirk twisted her lips. I remained expressionless, not daunted in the least by her show of supposed strength. That only seemed to aggravate her further. She lashed at me again, quick as a snake. I dodged, moving even faster. Her irritation grew with each miss she dealt, proceeding to elicit an odd array of grunts and growls that didn't befit her appearance. The bizarre dance we unintentionally found ourselves entranced in lasted only about a minute or so, however, for a loud snarl reverberated through the air, abruptly making us jerk away from each other in shock. We both looked up at the same time to see a huge, three-legged cat charging towards us. Neon-green eyes widened in horror as the Troll Druid swerved in the Blood Elf's direction, taking her aback. I can only imagine how astonished she must have been to realize that she was being confronted by a member of her own faction. I merely watched as her life was bleakly claimed right before my eyes in a flurry of snapping jaws, scoring claws, and splattering scarlet.

"…Hum…"

I glanced over my shoulder and blanched. Oh, right. My knees hit the dirt as I knelt by the fallen Paladin's side and raised a hand to sweep back straggling strands of jet-black hair from a forehead slick with perspiration. Geoff's brow furrowed beneath my touch. Not good.

"Mm…neck…"

My eyes flickered to the part in question. My blood froze. A large gash, not too deep but terribly long, stretched from the bottom left corner of the skin below his ear to the top of his left collar bone. Blood was pooled atop the dip in his throat and spilled over in tiny rivulets that soaked into the ground below. He tried to swallow but ended up choking instead. My hands hovered over him, horrified and helpless. The sound of snapping, dry grass averted my attention, and I whipped my head around to stare pleadingly up at the grim Troll that towered over me. He set his jaw in a manner of attempted self-control as he forced himself to meet my wide, desperate eyes.

"Heal him." I could never ask anything more from him.

He flinched, sunset eyes darkening. No longer caring about what he thought of me, or how piteous I now looked to him, I rose to grip at one of the straps of his leather harness. He was trying hard not to look away.

"Please."

That's when he shook his head, grief finally tearing his eyes from my face.

"I can't."


	18. Rejuvenation

**Took me a bit but...ah, yeah, my bad. My single hour of free time has dwindled down into a mere 30-45 minutes everyday. Wednesdays are like 0, though... Heartbreaking, I know. **

**Sorry, it's a tad shorter than I had intended it to be...I'll do my absolute best to make the next one longer, 'kay? No promises, though...I suck at those. **

***Disclaimer is same**

* * *

Have you ever heard the soft, constant pitter-pattering of collected raindrops hopping from leaf to leaf, making their way towards the damp, loose earth that they were drawn to? Have you ever smelled home; that sickly-sweet nostalgia that wriggles into your soul and crawls beneath your skin until you're wholly embraced by a welcoming warmth of pleasure? Have you ever seen the stars, the ones that only come out on the clearest of nights and twinkle beautifully alongside the ever-grinning moon? Maybe you've felt the blossoming love of a cherished one, so strong that you would risk your very life for their sake if the situation called for such a thing. All of these happenings, these memorable sensations, are things that I would've called _common _in the past, for I experienced them every day. It rained quite often in DuskenVale. I had always been a mere skip-and-a-hop from aunt and uncle's cottage. My mind, always wandering, opened up on more than one occasion, urging me to take the risk and sneak out at night when aunt Belif was asleep and climb that purple-leafed tree so that I could gaze up at the shadowed expanse of undiscovered skies above. Love…well, that's something that can be found almost anywhere. Some people are either just too obtuse or too self-pitying to notice.

But this is something different.

This taste…I can't get rid of it. It's thick and suffocating. It's dark and mind-numbing. It's _drowning _me. This horrible, gut-wrenching, heart-breaking taste… I can't substitute it with tears. I can't diminish it by hiding my face. It's persistent, and I'm losing the will to endure against it.

Loss.

That's what it is, isn't it? What did I lose, though? Did I lose the rain? Did I lose my home? Maybe I was just homesick. Surely, I didn't lose the night sky. It was always there, even if it was looming behind a curtain of foreign, piercing blue. Love is something I'll always hold onto. I'll never lose that. Whether it's in the form of familial affection for those adored Druid brothers or my newfound attachment to a certain one-armed member of the opposite faction…I'll never lose sight of what means the most. So why was I hurting so much? What did I lose?

"Hummin'moon…"

A strong arm wrapped around my shoulders, drawing me sideways into a strong, familiar chest. Rough leather chafed against my cheek as I turned my head to inhale his comforting scent. At least I wasn't alone. At least I didn't have to suffer by myself. Pain choked back articulate words as an unidentified sound urged its way up through my throat and past my trembling lips. The Troll, however, never missed a beat. His hold tightened. A large finger wiped at the salty liquid drenching the skin of my face. A chin nestled its way into my unruly, silver locks.

"I can't…"

I lifted a shaky hand to grab at his loose harness half-heartedly and pulled. He didn't so much as twitch. Something akin to a mixture of accusation and guilt welled up within me at the same time as I tilted my head back to stare up at him. Orange, sorrow-riddled eyes gazed back down at me from between a curved pair of sharp tusks.

"I can't," he repeated, as if trying to embed the fact into his very being.

My throat convulsed when I swallowed, though I forced the words to come out clear, albeit a little grating, when I spoke.

"You're a Druid."

Every muscle in his body tensed against me at the cold allegation. Rha'zin inhaled slowly. My head rose with the movement.

"I'm not da kind dat ya want me to be."

I grit my teeth together to keep from allowing my rising anger to get the best of my tongue.

"Aren't they all the same?"

Something alien flickered in his glistening orbs, immediately extinguishing the flames of my gradual irritation. His hand ran along the length of my arm until his fingers found my much smaller ones. Unconsciously, I intertwined them with his. Still, the Troll didn't relax.

"Dey should be…I s'ppose."

I didn't question him. I didn't pry. Maybe it was something that I could've easily found the answer to; however, the painful expression he now wore held me back from searching. His gaze flitted from me to the prone figure of a pale, gravely-wounded Human Paladin several feet away. I followed his eyes and had to bite the inside of my cheek to keep the tears from rising again. It wasn't fair. Why did things have to turn out this way? Why Geoff? Why couldn't it have been me? We had been close since the very first day we had met back in Astranaar. He was my best friend. He _is _my best friend. Grief tore an opening into my heart, compelling traitorous liquid to gather in the corners of my eyes once more. I can't lose him. I can't lose Geoff…

"But…I will try."

The world seemed to stop with those quietly-uttered words. All the hope that I had lost came rushing back to me all-too-quickly, leaving me bewildered and imploring as I swiveled around in the Troll's arm and straightened up so that I could properly look at him. He, on the other hand, averted his gaze and released me. I scooted back as he crept forward and knelt by the dying Alliance member's side. All the gratitude and fondness I felt for Rha'zin increased tenfold in the same instant that a single, blue hand lowered to rest against a barely-rising chest. The Troll's brow furrowed as he concentrated. I merely sat and watched, breathless. Muscles contracted at the same time that a grunt leapt from his throat. My eyes wandered down to his splayed fingers, alert for any signs of an iridescent glow. I had only ever seen members of my own faction heal. I'm not sure if it's any different for a Horde member, but, thinking back on what Caldur had told me before, I figure that all Druids are similar in one way or another. An abrupt spark of green caught my attention. I ogled, completely frozen.

"Damn it…" The Troll cursed to himself irately as he pressed his palm more firmly against the metal plating on the Human's front and tried again.

Another spark, followed shortly by an odd array of grumbled curses, disturbed the still, dry air of the surrounding plains land. He tried a third time.

Nothing.

"E'chuta!" I started a bit at the loud, frustrated exclamation that I guessed was spoken in his native tongue, for it didn't contain the heavy, guttural accent that was generally associated with Orcish.

That's when something seemed to snap inside of him. His eyes dulled beneath a haze of despondent anxiety as his arm locked out to make another attempt. He failed. He tried again. He failed. He tried again. His actions soon became a series of despairingly-repeated efforts that incited no response from the limp form below. Yet, he persisted obstinately. In a sense, it was difficult to watch. It seemed as if he were using every fiber of his being to gather the required energy in order to make each and every tiny, insignificant spark of dim light that elicited incoherent swearing from the depths of his rampant thoughts. He was clearly draining himself. Yet, what could I do but simply act as a bystander? What could I, someone who has absolutely no healing ability whatsoever, possibly do in this sort of situation? I could only pray to Elune for some sort of miracle.

"E'chuta…" Rha'zin muttered again before futilely giving the healing enchantment another go.

Eventually, though, it came to the point where I could stand it no longer. It became clear that he was slowly killing himself.

"Rha'zin," I was almost hesitant to call out to him, "stop."

It didn't even sound like a command, more like a weak protest, and the Troll brushed my interruption aside as if it were nothing more than an annoying fly. Feeling slightly bolder, I edged closer.

"Rha'zin."

His head remained lowered and his eyes transfixed to the task at hand.

"Rha'zin!"

"I can't," he barked forcefully while rounding on me with a glare fiercer than any fire I had ever seen before.

Instinctively, I lurched back, startled. Never before had he used such a tone with me. Never before had he bared his teeth at me in such an enraged snarl. From the beginning I had figured him to be tame, not just because he was more docile than other Trolls supposedly were, but because I had heard that all Horde members were brutal, merciless killers. Rha'zin wasn't ruthless, much less a heartless murderer. He had spared me the first time I stumbled into him. He had saved me even though I was intruding on his side of the border. He had kept me company, kept me safe, during the duration of this trying expedition. He was different. Allowing these thoughts to roll around in my head for a couple of seconds, successfully consoling me, I leaned forward gently and placed a hand on his shoulder. The Troll blinked.

"I understand, you don't have to-"

"No, ya don't understand," he shook his head stubbornly, "He's no different dan-he's just like…I don't want it to happen again. I don't want ya to 'ave to go 'tru what I did back den, yeah?"

Just like that, realization and pity washed over me. This whole situation, a dying comrade that he couldn't heal, was probably achingly familiar to him. He had told me earlier that he had failed to save his brother all because he didn't know how to heal. So, not being able to help Geoff, trying so hard with no result, must feel like a rusty dagger plunging deep into his heart. I tilted my head to glance sideways at Geoff and cringed slightly. I _wanted _him to be able to heal the Human. More than anything I just…wanted everyone to be happy and healthy and smiling together like we used to. I wanted things to go back to the way they were. However, to ask such a thing from Rha'zin is like asking him to play the part of Elune. The Troll isn't a God. He isn't some supernatural being that can perform miracles. I _know _this. Yet…

"I don't know what to feel…"

Orange eyes steadied enough to regard me attentively. I continued in a rushed sort of manner in hopes that he wouldn't misunderstand.

"I wish that you could heal him, but…if to do so would cost you your life then… I don't want that either."

His expression softened a bit as he lifted his hand from the cold, unmoving armor covering the Paladin's chest and rested his large fingers atop my head. I looked up.

"Hearing ya say dat, mon, makes me happy enough to try 'til I do."

Dumbstruck, I stared as he pulled away from me and returned his attention back to a very ghoulish-looking Geoff. Within the short span of a minute, the Troll was back to struggling to gather the necessary, natural energy required to cast a healing spell. This time, I didn't even bother to call out to him. I didn't bother to stop him. What good would it do? He'd just turn right back around and carry on with it no matter what I decided to say or do. He's always been persistent like that.

"Talk to me," Rha'zin growled out as a soft, emerald light encased the skin of his hand.

Feeling pressured, I stuttered, not wanting to ruin the stable concentration that he had acquired in order to advance as far as he had.

"A-about what?"

"Anytin'. I need sometin' to keep me feelin' connected."

Not sure what exactly he meant but getting the gist of what he was asking of me, I mulled over a topic and set my tongue loose, allowing my ever-raging thoughts to create words that clearly expressed my vivid imagination. I chose to talk about the thing that intrigued me the most, the thing I wanted to know more about but was too hesitant to return to.

"Have you ever heard of a place called Forever Land," I didn't give him time to respond, quickly apprehending that he most likely didn't want me to ask anything, lest it disrupt his focus, "It's absolutely remarkable. I've only been there once or twice, maybe three times, but every time I was sucked in I felt myself in awe. It's a completely different world, you know. The grass is greener than the scales of a Wind Serpent, and the night sky is unlike any sky I had ever seen before. It's almost as if it goes on forever…"

From that point I proceeded to tell him everything. I told him about my first entry into the make-believe world. I told him about my father and the moving picture in the glowing water of the intricately-designed well. I relayed my sorrowful comprehension that the place was nothing more than a complex figment of my own dreams and desires. I admitted that I cried. I admitted that I had wished for it all to be real. Nothing was more wonderful or more breath-taking than Forever Land. From the first moment I had been pulled into the world I had found myself lost, and it was only when I truly found myself that I discovered the truth of it all. Life can only be what you make of it, and getting lost is something that is required in order to understand and accept the reality that one has chosen for his or herself.

"…E'chuta…"

My head jerked up in the same instant that Rha'zin collapsed onto his side. Horrified, I scrambled over to him and knelt down, hands hovering anxiously. His chest heaved with the laborious gasps of air he inhaled, trying desperately to steady his breathing. My gaze dropped to his face in hopes that I might catch his eye; however, his orange orbs were glossed over in something akin to exhaustion. His entire body shook with the effort to contain his wildly-fluctuating and off-balance energy. Biting my lip, I dropped one hand to the exposed stretch of skin beneath his ribs and the other to his cheek. I leaned over, strands of my moonlit hair falling forward with the movement.

"You're going to be just fine. Everything's going to be alright. Just take deep, even breaths and—No, don't get up yet," I chastised the Troll and held him down gingerly when he endeavored to push himself back up into a sitting position.

"You're really foolish, you know." I couldn't help but state it, for it was nothing but the truth.

Recognition flashed through his eyes at my comment while life breathed its way back into his lungs, loosening his stiff muscles and quelling the insistent quaking of his body. He opened his mouth, readying himself to reply. I cut him off, though.

"You could have died, Rha'zin! Did you even consider a word of what I said? Did it even cross your mind what I would think if you suddenly dropped dead alongside Geoff? I'd be here all alone in the middle of Horde territory. I'd be confused, and scared, and hurt…I'd be so hurt, Rha'zin…don't you care?"

Sunset orange regarded me carefully as I turned my head to hide the obvious pain that had crept into my expression. Maybe I was being a tad melodramatic. Maybe I looked like a spoiled brat. Honestly, I'll admit that I most certainly felt like a _girl _for the first time in my life. I mean, usually I feel more like an 'it'. I've always gotten along better with guys, and I'm never afraid to get dirty and rough. I've always been competitive, and, ironically, I was faster than and more than twice as mischievous as the boys I used to play with in DuskenVale when I was younger. A 'tom-boy'; that's what they called me. I never cried. I never complained. I'm competitive and sometimes rude. Gore doesn't tamper my spirits and a little roughhousing has always served as an acceptable escape from the hardships of reality. Although, now, avoiding the searching eyes of the Troll I may or may not be in love with whilst doing my best to cover the tears that are now dripping from my eyes for the umpteenth time in the span of only a few days…well, I've never felt more feminine in my life. For some reason, that greatly embarrassed me.

"I care."

I had to fight down the urge to look at him. The humble solemnity that lingered in his voice quickened the skip of my heart beat. Again, I found myself disgusted with myself for feeling the way I did. He was simply answering my question, nothing more and nothing less.

"Hum-drum, I care."

My eyes betrayed me. They swiveled sideways despite my furious, mental protesting. His face, suddenly only a couple of inches from mine, was masked by an expression of something unrecognizable, yet it still sent an uncanny shiver up my spine. I held my breath. He continued to lean closer, tusks looming almost intimidatingly in my peripheral vision. Abruptly, I swallowed.

"You…care?"

A throaty purr rumbled in his chest as he rested his forehead against mine. The Troll was definitely more feline than he gave himself credit for, something that I would have to get used to. His lips brushed against mine, sending another involuntary jolt throughout my body. My eyes widened considerably as his hand rested against the back of my neck.

"I…I tink I lo-"

"Well, isn't this an invigorating sight to wake up to."

The space between me and Rha'zin increased exponentially at the unexpected disruption. We turned our heads at the same time to see a smiling, very-much-alive Human Paladin watching us humorously from his awkward position on the ground. The man had his arms crossed over his chest, ice-blue eyes glinting in amusement as he gauged our astonished reactions. It took a while, but I was the first to react.

"You…Geoff?!"

He chuckled softly at my apparent incredulity and appeared about to say something when I swiftly interrupted the Human by practically throwing myself on top of him and wrapping my arms around his neck in an odd sort of embrace. He winced.

"Ouch."

That caused me to withdraw. I guess I had just figured that since he was all cheery and upbeat he was automatically alright. Like a fool, I didn't take into consideration the notion that he could still possibly be injured. My lips quirked upwards in an apologetic smile.

"Sorry," then I turned my attention to the abashed Troll crouching a few feet away, "You healed him."

Rha'zin perked up a bit and even went so far as to present me with a lopsided beam.

"It would seem to be dat way."

Ecstatic, I rose from where I was sitting by Geoff's side and hopped over to the surprised Horde member. I grabbed his hand insistently. He eyed me, befuddled

"You _healed _him, Rha'zin."

He seemed to pick up on my implication, for he snorted a laugh and squeezed my hand back lightly in response.

"I s'ppose I just be waitin' for it to sink in, yeah?"

I shook my head.

"You saved his life."

"Yeah…"

"You should seriously be more excited."

"I tink ya need to be a little less excited."

"But it's incredible! It's nothing short of a miracle."

"…"

He seemed at a loss for words as I stared up at him in wonder. In time, though, his cheeks and the tips of his ears took on a slightly darker hue. He ran a hand through his unruly mane in an offhanded manner. He was proud of himself, I knew that much at least. Still, I was undoubtedly just as proud.

"Oh, don't mind me, poor soul brought back from the brink of death over here. Don't worry guys, I'm fine."


	19. Hasty Reunion

**Love me...Hate me...I'm sorry? The only excuse I can give is 'busy', and that's a sorry excuse, I know. (It's true, though). I'm not sure how many of you know what 'Crossfit' is, but I'm taking classes in preparation for competitions next year. My goal is to enter into the actual, televised 'Games'...and that takes up part of my time alongside the norm. So, again, sooooooo sorry.**

**I like to keep a constant update schedule but life's being horrible right now. I will let you guys know that, sadly, this story is slowly coming to its end (probably here within the next one-three chaps), BUT...I am currently working on a separate Warcraft story that I'll post once I'm finished with this one ^^**

**Lastly, sorry if there are any grammar/vocab mistakes. I wrote this late, and my brain's been off and on for the past week so...yeah. **

***Disclaimer is same~**

* * *

"Poetry?"

To say the least, I was astonished.

Well, to catch things up let me rewind a bit first. Right after Rha'zin had miraculously healed Geoff, the poor Human had unwillingly proved that he couldn't move about on his own quite yet. I'm not sure why exactly. I mean, it had only been a strike to the neck, right? Maybe a nerve had been hit. Maybe his limbs were numb from the shock. Whatever the reasons may be, though, to the Paladin's utmost chagrin and to my great amusement, the Troll was now carrying the pouting man across his shoulder. The fact that the Horde member was able to do that in itself was impressive enough. How much did all that armor weigh again? A lot, I'm sure. Anyway, after a bit of trekking, Rha'zin claiming that we were nearly at the path leading to the Ramparts, I had extraordinarily convinced Geoff to loosen up. I must say I was feeling pretty proud of myself. I even got him grinning and goofing off again like usual. The guy's absolutely, one-hundred percent more likable when he's in a good mood. So, he started talking. He talked about many things, arbitrary things. I only listened half the time to be honest. However, when he suddenly mentioned his love for poetry I kind of perked up a bit. You've got to admit that a male Human, and a Paladin nonetheless, liking poetical practices was a little odd. Naturally, I had questioned him. That leads us to the present and a somewhat flabbergasted Geoff hanging limply across the broad shoulder of a one-armed Troll. The man waved a hand at me as if affronted by my disbelief.

"What, is it really so unthinkable that I would hold an interest for the literary arts?"

I hid a smirk with a sharp shake of my head.

"Of course not. You just don't strike me as the kind of person to be…poetic?"

His ice-blue eyes blinked up at me blankly, narrowing slowly as he mulled over my revelation. His front bounced a tad against Rha'zin's back as we walked, yet that didn't seem to faze him in the least. After some time, I'm not for certain how long, he licked his lips and inclined his head.

"I guess you could say it's more of a hobby. You know, alongside chopping peoples' heads off and casting Holy magic."

"That's an intriguing combination."

"Isn't it?"

The Troll snorted but said nothing, undoubtedly feigning that he held little interest in the conversation. The tips of his ears twitched slightly, proving to me that he, in fact, was listening intently. Humored but decidedly ignoring him, I turned my attention back to the Human with something akin to a cheeky smile creeping across my face.

"I'd like to hear something then."

For the second time in my life, I saw the Paladin blush…no, I guess it'd be the third; there was that one time back at Lor'danel when he accidentally mistook a rather lean Hunter for a female Night Elf, and, well…yeah. That's not a scene that I'd like to witness a second time.

"Ah, you see, I can't exactly conjure something off the top of my head. I need time and lots of references to gather ideas from."

I clicked my tongue to audibly display my disapproval. His lips twitched.

"Shouldn't a bard be able to come up with anything at any time?"

He pouted again, brow furrowing at my implication.

"I never said I was a bard."

"…but you said you were a poet."

"I did."

"A poet and a bard are one and the same."

"No they aren't."

I lifted a slender brow in skepticism.

"In what way are they different?"

His mope transitioned into a scowl when Rha'zin shrugged his shoulder meaningfully. Geoff's gaze flickered up to the back of the Troll's head before swiveling back to regard me hesitantly.

"Obviously a bard is a bard and a poet is a poet."

"That doesn't explain anything."

"A Troll is a Troll and an Elf is an Elf."

"Now you're just getting off topic."

"Really? I figured we were still talking about comparisons."

I couldn't help but roll my eyes at the childish tone he used. Nothing productive ever results from arguing with this guy. He has what people call a 'silver tongue'. His clever way of weaving words could throw one's mind into a clamor of utter chaos. Though, he's always been like that. Believe it or not, Geoff would rather use the pacifistic notion of talking his way out of a fight rather than throwing himself head-on into the heat of battle whilst waving his sword and spilling unnecessary blood. For instance, when he had gotten the angry Sentinel off my back the day we had first met in Astranaar, he had merely threatened the woman with a harmless, but very malicious array of words. Funny enough, the Night Elf had backed down the instant the man had stopped speaking, allowing us both off the hook. I have remained grateful to him ever since, albeit a little wary. In time, though, I've most certainly gotten to know him better. That's why I didn't feel like I was crossing any sensitive boundaries when I again approached the topic from a different angle.

"Oh, then what about a singer and a vocalist?"

Geoff wrinkled his nose distastefully.

"Same thing."

"Do you want me to punch you?"

He gasped melodramatically.

"You'd seriously consider harming an already injured man?"

"It wouldn't be the first time."

"…Unexpected response. Let me take a minute to soak that in."

I waited. He sighed. Rha'zin cleared his throat.

"You wouldn't 'happen to be talkin' 'bout 'ol Rha'zin now, would ya?"

A laugh escaped me despite my best efforts at keeping it down.

"Oh, you were listening?"

"Couldn't help it."

A pause ensued. Geoff snickered.

"It's because of the size of those—Hey!"

The Paladin's sentence was cut short as he was unceremoniously tossed off of the Troll's shoulder. The clanking of heavy metal accompanied by the dull thud of a body hitting dry dirt broke the still air. Rha'zin, seemingly pleased with himself, rolled his shoulders and twisted his neck, eliciting an audible popping sound as he did so. The Horde member caught my eye. I gave him a quizzical look. He huffed and ran a large hand through his emerald-colored hair at the same time that a disgruntled Human turned onto his side to glare accusingly at the much taller male. The Troll shifted his jaw.

"Whoops."

Geoff bared his teeth exasperatingly.

"_Whoops _my ass."

I choked back a laugh, only managing to let out an embarrassing snort as I whirled around on my heel to cover the uncontrollable grin that had taken over my face. Did he really just say that?! Rha'zin appeared to have found it just as humorous, though, for he howled with laughter and fell back onto the ground while clutching at his sides. Clinking and clanging could be heard as Geoff clambered to his feet ungracefully. I twisted back around to look at him. _Annoyed _was an understatement for the expression he now wore. I bit my tongue in an attempt to control my bubbling amusement. Blue eyes met mine. I forced an apologetic smile. He wasn't convinced. Honestly, I didn't blame him…though, really he had it coming. For all of the teasing that he's put me and the Druid brothers through, I'd say it's only fair that he's had his share of suffering as well, even if it's only just this once. What do they call that again? Oh right, karma.

"It's fine, I didn't need the extra assistance anyway," the Human grumbled as he brushed off invisible smudges of dirt from his gleaming armor and hunched his shoulders stubbornly.

What a child. I made to respond to his irritable retort, however, Rha'zin beat me to it.

"I didn't wanna help ya in da first place, mon. Ya chopped my arm off and I saved ya life. Dats hardly fair at all," the Troll snickered whilst rocking forward onto the balls of his feet and rising back up to his full height.

He towered a good two feet over Geoff, yet that apparently-insignificant fact didn't daunt the man in the least. In fact, the Paladin puffed out his chest defiantly and flicked the dark hair out of his face with a short, sharp jerk of his head. He pointed an accusing finger at the Horde member, who of which merely blinked at him perplexedly.

"I didn't ask for your help."

Orange eyes narrowed dangerously.

"Ya surely needed it."

"But I didn't _ask _for it. Meaning, this dissatisfaction you're holding onto is merely in conflict with your own sense of righteousness. You didn't have to save me, but you did."

Rha'zin inclined his head to hide his troubled expression as he reached up to fiddle with one of his bone trinkets anxiously. His tongue quickly darted out to run along his lips and swipe at one of his tusks before disappearing again behind sharpened teeth. Then his eyes coincidentally met mine. A silent questioned shone in his gaze. I nodded, giving him permission to voice his reasoning. His nostrils flared as he inhaled a long, steady breath of parched air.

"Hummin'moon be da one dat wanted ya all fixed up."

Geoff didn't seem surprised. Instead, he lifted a hand to finger the tender area where the previous mortal wound had rested in the curve of his left collarbone. My heart fluttered slightly when his ice-blue stare sought for mine. He smiled softly, forgivingly.

"I know."

I nearly melted at the words. Why? I'm not so sure myself. If I had to guess, though, I'd say it was because, in that single instance that his expression had brightened, everything suddenly seemed _right _again. When he smiled, it meant that things were going to be okay. I truly, honestly believed that. I've always believed that. Whenever I had been in a pinch, Geoff had been there to ease me through. Whenever I had felt down or dissatisfied, he was the one who picked me back up. He's a hero. He's someone who cares for me just as much as I care for him. He's my very best friend. So, I suppose I'm just trying to say that I'm glad he's alright. And who exactly do I have to thank for that again? Abruptly, I glanced at Rha'zin. He was already looking at me, though.

"Thank you." It was all I could think to say.

An amused snort escaped the large Troll.

"What for?"

"Everything…"

I tried to fit it all into that single word. All the emotions, experiences, memories, and thoughts I had gone through. He had saved me time after time, both physically and mentally. Rha'zin's grin relaxed into a simple, warm quirk of his lips.

"Dat be a lot to tank me for."

I ducked my head in a timid nod.

"That's all I have to thank you for."

He became baffled at that point, his brow furrowing as he regarded me.

"All I did was help ya out every here and dere."

Something surged within me. My soul quivered. My heart quailed.

"And by that you did more than enough for us…for me."

A deep, thoughtful hum resonated within his chest as he mulled over my hesitant exposé. He edged closer to me, only a few steps away, and placed his hand atop my head fondly, ruffling my already-messy hair. His face lowered closer to mine, and he beamed cheerfully, left tusk barely missing my eye.

"And I don't regret a second of it."

A strange noise rose in the back of my throat, something that sounded like a mix between a low whine and a grunt. This guy…

"HOLY HELL!"

…Well, that certainly ruined the moment. All three of our heads jerked up at the same time in simultaneous alertness as a figure suddenly came into view, sharply veering around the curve of one of the many Barrens hills. Whatever it was, whoever it was, it sure was _fast_. And…it was heading straight in our direction. Geoff caught his breath and took several quick steps back. Rha'zin instinctively pulled me closer. I simply stared, owl-eyed as the form of an all-too-familiar Night Elf came sprinting closer, arms pumping back and forth as the tall male ran. Soon enough, another two familiar figures rounded the hill behind the first. I could only gawk in disbelief as none other than Caldur shot past us. What I most definitely hadn't been expecting, though, was for the Druid to grab my hand as he whisked by. My feet, fortunately, acted before my brain had a chance to catch up, and I found myself stumbling to keep up with the fast Night Elf.

"C-Caldur?!"

Seemingly startled, said Druid glanced first over his shoulder at me and then down at our conjoined hands.

"Hum-drum?"

Appalled, I managed to maintain my pace, matching his steps as we ran.

"Who else did you think you had randomly grabbed onto?"

Caldur pursed his lips thoughtfully and turned his head back around.

"Sorry, it was a reflex."

If my mind hadn't been scrambled before then it most likely was now. Who? What? When? Where? How? And Why? One minute I'm showering my sincerest gratitude upon a charming Troll and the next thing I know, I'm being jerked through tall grass by the very guy we had been trying to rescue since the beginning of our little journey. So, if I'm not mistaken, the two who had been dashing along behind him were none other than Vendal and Unandel. Curious, but not willing to risk looking back and causing myself to trip, I decidedly kept my attention focused on the lavender-haired Night Elf tightly grasping my hand.

"And why are we running?"

Golden eyes flickered fleetingly to my face before silently motioning behind us. Hesitantly, I spared a glance. I regretted it instantly. Orcs, and a lot at that, were riding after us on the backs of large, snarling wolves. Sure, they were a good distance away, but, then again, they were mounted. It wouldn't take them long to catch up.

"And…where are we running to exactly?"

Caldur, despite our current situation, tossed me a broad grin.

"Ashenvale."

A frown tugged at my lips.

"You don't mean…"

"We're breaking through the Ramparts," he laughed gleefully.

"You're insane!"

"Only a bit."

"We'll die!"

"Only if you believe it."

Yet, this is Caldur. This is that foolish, kind-hearted Druid that stuck to his other half like amber on tree bark. They were both ridiculous. They were both mischievous. They were both cherished. They made others laugh and sometimes cry. They made it sunny when the clouds became too gray. They were the anything and everything that others hoped for. Amusement, pleasure, joy, love, understanding, company, or just an outright miracle…they were whatever one wanted them to be. That's why I held the brothers so close to my heart. They were freedom. They were my family. So, it's only natural that I would desire for us to all make it through this crazy trip alive, right?

"Caldur, where have you been?"

His canines glinted as he smiled in response to the very 'un-question-like' question.

"Where haven't I been?"

"A lot of places."

"Probably. Still, I'll bet you can name someplace and I'll have been there."

Obviously, I tested his theory.

"Tirisfal Glades."

He smirked.

"Gloomy, eerie, quiet, and filled with dead people."

"That doesn't mean you've been there."

"I have in my head. You don't believe me? Give me another."

My legs were beginning to ache. Yet, I allowed him to pull me on. From where we were, the stone path that led to the Mor'shan Ramparts could be seen not too far away. I quickly glanced over my shoulder to make sure that the others were following at a reasonable pace. They were. Though, poor Rha'zin, I guess Troll's weren't really built to be runners. He was straggling a bit behind the other two Night Elves, but, then again, so was Geoff. The Human, most likely being weighed down by his heavy armor, was jogging right alongside the Horde member. My fretting conscious relaxed a bit. The Orcs were gradually drawing closer, but, if we kept our current speed up until the end, we'd make it. Allowing this new optimistic notion to ease the tension in my burning muscles, I gave my brain permission to consider Caldur's challenge. Oh, here's a good one.

"Forever Land."

The Druid's smile fell completely as he twisted his head around to ogle at me. I merely stared back, daring him to tell me that he'd been there before. After a short few moments of silence, the Night Elf abruptly let loose a laugh and turned his eyes upwards towards the cloudless sky. Something odd was reflected in the back of his honey-colored gaze, something unreadable and too deep for me to grasp. That's when I recalled the soothing quiet of an emerald forest, showered with drops of crystalized liquid. That's when I remembered the beautiful well, the voices, and the image that was reflected in the still, calm surface inside.

"Clever," he breathed.

* * *

**Thanks SO much to all of you that have kept up with the story so far and provided me with your feedback (both guests and regular viewers). It makes me really happy to know that others like what I write :) **


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